To "take something'' means possible relief, with fre-
quent repetitions of liquid or solid poisons that will make
well persons sick ; that will take food from the mouths,
and clothing from the backs of those who cannot afford
to be sick, and rapidly deplete the purse of the well-to-do.
Intemperance in any form leads to disaster and death.
Temperance in all things leads to happiness, health, and
a long and useful life. We are creatures of habit, and
can accustom ourselves to anything good or bad, if we
only will to do so, and permit no obstacle to stand in the
way.
With this thought as the basis of action while prac-
ticing the untried methods upon myself, and teaching
others, I became an inmate of Dr. William T. Vail's
1 8 THE FAT OF THE LAND.
"Granite State Water Cure '' at Hill, N. H., with which
I was connected several yea!rs, subsequently graduating
from Dr. R. T. Trail's College, New York City, in 1861,
with a large class of men and women, which experience
settled the question in my mind regarding the pro-
priety and wisdom of the co-education of the sexes in
medical and all other schools and colleges.
I have always combined practice both in and out of
Sanitariums, with practical talks, and progressive public
lectures, begun when women lecturers were an entire
" bureau " in themselves, and a great " curiosity " besides.
In those days of health and food reform, when our
theories were ridiculed, our best efforts caricatured ; and
we were called "lean, lank, vegetarians," living on "bran-
bread and saw-dust puddings," full of insane notions ;
(crank and fad were then unknown in their present appli-
cation), to prove my positions correct, I became an
experimental demonstrator in hygienic cookery, and bread
making, and do not know that any one preceded me in
that line of work.
Having kept pace with the march of events in progres-
sive medical practice, and in touch with the striving of
others for the light of truth, it is a matter of rejoicing
that hundreds are now interested in learning the better
way, where there was but one forty years ago, and that
one a "queer" individual with but a single fanatical
" idea."
Having several years ago retired from active practice,
I am now impelled by letters from numerous friends, and
the needs of a large class of progressive people who are
seeking a higher physical and spiritual life, to pick up
the thread, take another step along the same line, and
INTRODUCTION. 1 9 «
send out this book as one more guide toward the better
way.
That its teachings may lighten the burdens of many a
mother, and save herself and loved ones from sickness ;
that it may lead to the generation of children who will
require no ^^--generation ; make homes happier because
of better health in the household, and less exacting drafts
upon the domestic purse ; and last, but not least, emanci-
pate women from the slavery of unnecessary cooking is ^
the sincere wish of the
Author...
CHAPTER I.
WHY WE EAT.
The human body is a machine propelled by a delicately
constituted engine called the heart, that never ceases its
invisible motion from birth until death. This body is •
composed of fifteen elements. To properly nourish and.
sustain this body, we must supply it with these fifteen
elements as material for its growth, fuel to warm it, and
furnish power for work as well as to repair the waste that
continually takes place. The more perfect the working
of the human machine from day to day, the more normal,
the activity of every organ, the more readily they cast oif
the worn out atoms and appropriate the new.
What to eat and how to prepare it becomes then a vital
question.
Page 5
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
To "take something'' means possible relief, with frequent repetitions of liquid or solid poisons that will make well persons sick ; that will take food from the mouths, and clothing from the backs of those who cannot afford to be sick, and rapidly deplete the purse of the well-to-do.
Intemperance in any form leads to disaster and death. Temperance in all things leads to happiness, health, and a long and useful life. We are creatures of habit, and can accustom ourselves to anything good or bad, if we only will to do so, and permit no obstacle to stand in the way.
With this thought as the basis of action while practicing the untried methods upon myself, and teaching others, I became an inmate of Dr. William T. Vail's
"Granite State Water Cure '' at Hill, N. H., with which I was connected several years, subsequently graduating from Dr. R. T. Trail's College, New York City, in 1861, with a large class of men and women, which experience settled the question in my mind regarding the propriety and wisdom of the co-education of the sexes in medical and all other schools and colleges.
I have always combined practice both in and out of Sanitariums, with practical talks, and progressive public lectures, begun when women lecturers were an entire " bureau " in themselves, and a great " curiosity " besides.
In those days of health and food reform, when our theories were ridiculed, our best efforts caricatured ; and we were called "lean, lank, vegetarians," living on "branbread and saw-dust puddings," full of insane notions ; (crank and fad were then unknown in their present application), to prove my positions correct, I became an experimental demonstrator in hygienic cookery, and bread making, and do not know that any one preceded me in that line of work.
Having kept pace with the march of events in progressive medical practice, and in touch with the striving of others for the light of truth, it is a matter of rejoicing that hundreds are now interested in learning the better way, where there was but one forty years ago, and that one a "queer" individual with but a single fanatical " idea."
Having several years ago retired from active practice, I am now impelled by letters from numerous friends, and the needs of a large class of progressive people who are seeking a higher physical and spiritual life, to pick up the thread, take another step along the same line, and
INTRODUCTION. 1 9 «
send out this book as one more guide toward the better way.
That its teachings may lighten the burdens of many a mother, and save herself and loved ones from sickness ; that it may lead to the generation of children who will require no degeneration ; make homes happier because of better health in the household, and less exacting drafts upon the domestic purse ; and last, but not least, emancipate women from the slavery of unnecessary cooking is ^ the sincere wish of the
Author...
CHAPTER I.
WHY WE EAT.
The human body is a machine propelled by a delicately constituted engine called the heart, that never ceases its invisible motion from birth until death. This body is • composed of fifteen elements. To properly nourish and. sustain this body, we must supply it with these fifteen elements as material for its growth, fuel to warm it, and furnish power for work as well as to repair the waste that continually takes place. The more perfect the working of the human machine from day to day, the more normal, the activity of every organ, the more readily they cast oif the worn out atoms and appropriate the new.
What to eat and how to prepare it becomes then a vital question.