Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages: Including a System of Vegetable CookeryAlcott, William A. (William Andrus)
Science
Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages: Including a System of Vegetable Cookery
Alcott, William A. (William Andrus)
Food; Vegetarianism
The secretions and excretions of his body are in a better state; and
this, again, proves that his blood and other fluids are healthy. He does
not so readily perspire excessively as other men, neither is there any
want of free and easy perspiration. Profuse sweating on every trifling
exertion of the body or mind, is as much a disease as an habitually dry
skin. But the vegetable-eater escapes both of these extremes. The
saliva, the tears, the milk, the gastric juice, the bile, and the other
secretions and excretions--particularly the dejections--are as they
should be. Nay, the very exhalations of the lungs are purer, as is
obvious from the breath. That of a vegetable-eater is perfectly sweet,
while that of a flesh-eater is often as offensive as the smell of a
charnel-house. This distinction is discernible even among the brute
animals. Those which feed on grass, grain, etc., have a breath
incomparably sweeter than those which prey on animals. Compare the
camel, and horse, and cow, and sheep, and rabbit, with the tiger (if you
choose to approach him), the wolf, the dog, the cat, and the hawk. One
comparison will be sufficient; you will never forget it. But there is as
much difference between the odor of the breath of a flesh-eating human
being and a vegetable-eater, as between those of the dog and the lamb.
This, however, is a secret to all but vegetable-eaters themselves, since
none but they are so situated as to be able to make the comparison. But,
betake yourself to mealy vegetables and fruits a few years, and live
temperately on them, and then you will perceive the difference,
especially in riding in a stage-coach. This, I confess, is rather a
draw-back upon the felicity of vegetable-eaters; but it is some
consolation to know what a mass of corruption we ourselves have escaped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account