Man's best diet, and twenty year's trial of it / by W. Couchman.

  • Couchman, W. (William)
Date:
[1873?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Man's best diet, and twenty year's trial of it / by W. Couchman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    It will scarcely be denied that in the tew articles from the vegetable kingdom here enumerated, there is an abundance of albuminous substances to form flesh or muscle, so as to obviate any necessity for resorting to the animal world. And yet it is chiefly on the ground of its superior power to support the fleshy or muscular system that the advocates of a mixed diet rely, in arguing for the necessity of animal food to give strength and vigour to the human frame. We find that the universally popular production, wheat, contains within 5 pounds in the 100 pounds as much flesh-forming principle as butcher’s meat itself, besides containing 62 per cent- of the heat-giving element, of which butcher’s meat contains little more than 14 per cent. In like manner we find that peas contain 29 per cent, of the flesh-forming element, or 7 pounds 11 oz. more in the 100 pounds than butcher’s meat, while of the heat giving element they contain 51 per cent. Beans, the most nutritious of all, contain 31 per cent, of albuminous matter, or 9’47 per cent, more than flesh, while they also contain heat-giving matter to the amount of 52 per cent. The other vegetable substances contain less albumen, but a larger amount of heat formers, and may be taken in conjunction with more solid substances for the support and nourishment of the body. The bone-forming element abounds in most vegetables, but especially in farinaceous substances. In oats it is most abundant. From these premises then, can we do otherwise than infer that a vegetable and farinaceous diet is the best for man ? For the fact is, that while ari animal or mixed diet is very much more expensive, it con¬ tains less of solid substances than most of the vegetable foods, and flesh has on an average 63^ per cent, of simple water. Mr C. D. Hunter, F.C.S., in an article in the Dietetic Reformer for July 1867, on ‘‘ Some agricultural facts about the economy of food,” uses some very efiective arguments with practical and statistic-loving men. He says: —“ The economy of nature testifies also that flesh is an exceedingly wasteful food. For while it has been calculated that the annual produce of two and a half acres of land, in the form of mutton, is capable of sustaining one man the same under wheat would support six men, under apples rather more, and under potatoes nearly sixteen men. Even milk, which is obtainable without destruction of life, is in nature’s economy fully one-third cheaper than flesh These calculations include the suet as food, If it be left out, the figures for flesh are reduced by two-thirds, and nearly eight acres would be necessary to support life—the lean of the meat alone being used. Wheat would then prove eighteen, and potatoes forty-eight times superior. These are facts that apeak for themselves, and may be confirmed by anyone possessing a little acquaintance with agriculture, and having within reach Dr Frankland’s or Dr Letheby’s lectures on muscular force and on food.” Ask the agricultural labourers how much of the flesh-forming portion of animal food they are in the habit of consuming. Every man of experience knows it forms an almost insignificant portion of their diet. The conclusion is inevitable, that the strength of our working people in the rural districts is almost entirely derived from the products of the vegetable kingdom, and