The Natural Food of Man: Being an attempt to prove from comparative anatomy, physiology, chemistry and hygiene, that the original, best and natural diet of man is fruit and nutsCarrington, Hereward
Science
The Natural Food of Man: Being an attempt to prove from comparative anatomy, physiology, chemistry and hygiene, that the original, best and natural diet of man is fruit and nuts
Carrington, Hereward
Food; Vegetarianism
_The Carnivora._—The next great class that we must consider is the
_carnivora_. Their teeth are very distinctive, and their shape and
arrangement are entirely different from those of any of the other
animals. There are the incisor teeth in front, and molars behind; but
the most distinctive teeth are the canine, which especially distinguish
this class of feeders. There are four of these—two in each jaw, placed
upon the sides, and they are long, sharp, and pointed. The more nearly
the animal is purely carnivorous, the more are these teeth developed,
and the less meat the animal eats, the less are they developed. Thus,
the feline species, which is perhaps the most typically carnivorous
of all, have canine teeth very well developed; in them, they are most
marked. In such animals, the canine teeth are also set considerably
apart from other teeth. In the dog, however, the teeth are less
prominent than they are in the cat; his claws, eyes, etc., are also
less distinctly carnivorous, and it will be observed that his habits
are decidedly less like those of the preying animal than are those of
the cat: he sleeps at night instead of in the daytime; does not adopt
the stealthy methods for catching birds, etc., which the cat follows.
All this has its significance when it is remembered that dogs are much
more easily weaned away from a flesh diet, on to one of milk, bread,
biscuits, etc., than are cats, who are very difficult to wean from
their carnivorous habits. This, however, is by the way.
In the bear family, again, the carnivorous characteristics are still
less marked. The canine teeth are less and the molars and incisors
more developed—the latter having a flat but roughened crown. All this
indicates a still nearer approach to a vegetable and fruit diet—as is
actually the case. The bear, as is well known, is fond of berries,
fruits of all kinds, milk and honey.
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