It having been scientifically proven, that man i& not in .
any sense naturally carniverous, not having any portion*
of his anatomy adapted to tearing and devouring flesliy
including bones and skin, after the fashion of his carniv-
orous brethren, it becomes more in harmony with the
aspirations of a humane and civilized people to discard"
the use of animal food. Nature has lavishly provided the
animal world from the tiniest insect to the most gigantic
beast, with food adapted to its needs.
The carnivora that crush, tear and devour their victims
are not creatures of endurance and longevity, neither are
they inclined to peace and gentleness ; the food upon
which they subsist makes them what they are, blood-
thirsty, and treacherous. When in a state of captivity,
deprived of exercise, compelled to take their food denuded
of its skin, they become debilitated, diseased and die
prematurely. Animals in their natural state are content
36 THE FAT OF THE LAND.
to eat and live, preserving themselves in health and pro-
longing their lives to the utmost natural limit. If
accident or illness occurs, grasses, plants, air, water, sun-
shine are their instinctive remedies.
The camel, the elephant, feeding entirely on vegetable
productions — the fat of the land — are long-lived, giants
in strength, marvels of patience and endurance, models
of intelligence, obedience and affection. The patient ox,
the noble horse, the docile elephant, strong and obedient,
if they were flesh eaters, could not be educated for
domestic use.
According to the most intelligent scientific research,
fruits and nuts were the original food of man, green herbs,
grasses and roots taking their place later in his dietary.
Herbs have developed into succulent foods ; grasses into
grains ; the crudest roots into toothsome vegetables ;
fruits into exquisite flavors, tempting lusciousness and
beauty, while nuts have grown spontaneously, with little
or no culture, yielding their abundant yearly harvest in.
many species beyond the century mark.
In tropical climes where food is produced in luxuriant
abundance, little or no cooking is done, except in the
simplest manner. To pluck and eat, is the only imme-
diate effort required to procure daily bread.
If it should be claimed that a meat diet was essential
to the stimulation of the intellectual faculties, the answer
might well be that Pythagoras, Zeno, Diogenes, Plato,
Plutarch, and a grand array of historians, poets and phil-
osophers of ancient days and world-wide celebrity, lived
without meat upon food which may truly be called " the
fat of the land.'' Clement of Alexandria says of Saint
Matthew, that **he abstained from the eating of flesh.
THE FAT OF THE LAND. 37-
and that his diet was fruits, roots, and herbs." Minutius^.
Felix, who about the year 210 A. D. wrote a dialogue in
defense of the Christian religion, quotes Octavius, the-
principal speaker, as saying, "We Christians dread the
thoughts of murder, and cannot bear to look upon a
carcass ; and we so abhor human blood that we abstain
from that of beasts." And in regard to physical endur-
ance, it is a fact that the peasantry in nearly all foreign
countries subsist entirely or nearly so upon the productions
of the earth.
It is capable of proof that vegetarians in any profes-
sion or occupation will endure more labor without weari-
ness than the flesh eater. Neither are they sick or ailing
every now and then. They can also endure thirst and
hunger better and the loss of a meal creates no disturbing^
condition. And why ? Because they are not working
upon unnatural stimulants that use up the vital force.
It has also been demonstrated that athletes, gymnasts,,
runners, walkers, and cyclists who live and are trained on.
a vegetable diet, invariably — other things being equal —
win the race or game, and at its close are not in the
exhausted condition of their flesh-eating companions.
Page 12
Presented as published in 1896. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
It having been scientifically proven, that man is not in . any sense naturally carniverous, not having any portion of his anatomy adapted to tearing and devouring flesh includingg bones and skin, after the fashion of his carnivorous brethren, it becomes more in harmony with the aspirations of a humane and civilized people to discard the use of animal food. Nature has lavishly provided the animal world from the tiniest insect to the most gigantic beast, with food adapted to its needs.
The carnivora that crush, tear and devour their victims are not creatures of endurance and longevity, neither are they inclined to peace and gentleness ; the food upon which they subsist makes them what they are, bloodthirsty, and treacherous. When in a state of captivity, deprived of exercise, compelled to take their food denuded of its skin, they become debilitated, diseased and die prematurely. Animals in their natural state are content
to eat and live, preserving themselves in health and prolonging their lives to the utmost natural limit. If accident or illness occurs, grasses, plants, air, water, sunshine are their instinctive remedies.
The camel, the elephant, feeding entirely on vegetable productions — the fat of the land — are long-lived, giants in strength, marvels of patience and endurance, models of intelligence, obedience and affection. The patient ox, the noble horse, the docile elephant, strong and obedient, if they were flesh eaters, could not be educated for domestic use.
According to the most intelligent scientific research, fruits and nuts were the original food of man, green herbs, grasses and roots taking their place later in his dietary. Herbs have developed into succulent foods ; grasses into grains ; the crudest roots into toothsome vegetables ; fruits into exquisite flavors, tempting lusciousness and beauty, while nuts have grown spontaneously, with little or no culture, yielding their abundant yearly harvest in. many species beyond the century mark.
In tropical climes where food is produced in luxuriant abundance, little or no cooking is done, except in the simplest manner. To pluck and eat, is the only immediate effort required to procure daily bread.
If it should be claimed that a meat diet was essential to the stimulation of the intellectual faculties, the answer might well be that Pythagoras, Zeno, Diogenes, Plato, Plutarch, and a grand array of historians, poets and philosophers of ancient days and world-wide celebrity, lived without meat upon food which may truly be called " the fat of the land.'' Clement of Alexandria says of Saint Matthew, that **he abstained from the eating of flesh.
and that his diet was fruits, roots, and herbs." Minutius Felix, who about the year 210 A. D. wrote a dialogue in defense of the Christian religion, quotes Octavius, theprincipal speaker, as saying, "We Christians dread the thoughts of murder, and cannot bear to look upon a carcass ; and we so abhor human blood that we abstain from that of beasts." And in regard to physical endurance, it is a fact that the peasantry in nearly all foreign countries subsist entirely or nearly so upon the productions of the earth.
It is capable of proof that vegetarians in any profession or occupation will endure more labor without weariness than the flesh eater. Neither are they sick or ailing every now and then. They can also endure thirst and hunger better and the loss of a meal creates no disturbing condition. And why ? Because they are not working upon unnatural stimulants that use up the vital force.
It has also been demonstrated that athletes, gymnasts,, runners, walkers, and cyclists who live and are trained on. a vegetable diet, invariably — other things being equal — win the race or game, and at its close are not in the exhausted condition of their flesh-eating companions.