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What Must A Man Do To Be Strong?

BY G. H. CORSAN, CHAMPION SWIMMER, CITY OF TORONTO.

As a boy I was brought up largely on beer, ale and meats. I was told that these were strong foods. I soon found out that my teachers were in error and that they were off the straight and narrow path. But what was the best food for man was a puzzle that took me many years to find out. For a long time I had made up my mind that raw food was normal, but it was not until by a lucky chance I came across the Doctors Densmore's magazine (which ceased publication in 1894). Almost at once I was a convert to the idea that fruits and nuts are the natural food of man. It was a year ago that I heard a gentleman, who, for a long time, held the American record for fast swimming (71 seconds for 100 yards, straight-away course in open water), say that he was getting old and would quit swimming races. Upon asking him how old he was, and finding from his reply that he was thirty-four, just my own age, I thought for an experiment I would just commence. Now, of all forms of physical exertion there is none so trying as a fast swimming race, whether the distance is only 100 yards or 220, 440, or even two miles or more, for one can put as much force in a 100-yard race as he can in a two-mile race. I have seen athletes who were strong in other lines of sport enter a 100-yard swimming race and cut most ridiculous.

figures at the finish. By this I refer to their lack of wind and staying power, and not to their inability to master the “Trudgeon" stroke. And what does all this indicate? That it takes an unusual or a remarkable man to swim fast? No; but that to enter into such violent exercise, he must be rightly trained. Not the kind of training that would do for a 100-yard sprint or a football match or a hurdle race, for what is a football match compared with a game of water polo as a test of an athlete's endurance? It is this, wherein the extreme limit of man's physical endurance is tried that we discover the value of proper training. "Must I quit tobacco and tea?" "Shall I eat meat?" "Shall I eat one or five meals per day?" These questions come forward and must be answered positively one way or the other. Let us examine the meat question. Is meat good food to train upon? I say most decidedly, no. Professor P. von Boeckmann to the contrary, notwithstanding.' His contention that meat-eating animals and birds are stronger than those which live on the vegetable kingdom is absurd. Lions, tigers, hawks, owls, cats, etc., are armed with superior weapons, and muscularly are much weaker than the buffalo of Africa, not to mention the rhinoceros and the elephant; for endurance, *Health, December number.

the jack rabbit or hare is superior to the cat, and the little red squirrel is a much stronger animal than the weasel. But this even is no argument to base a fact upon. The intestines of man are too complex and long to digest meat and therefore early decomposition sets up before final expulsion from the rectum, and thus we find meat eaters require much more sleep than fruit and nut eaters. They have that dopey feeling and lack the alertness of the individual who lives solely on fruits and nuts. A dog was made for meat eating, and he who feeds his dog on a vegetable diet will make it sick.

The question might be asked, "How do I know that man was constructed for a fruit and nut diet?" (1) Gen. 1: 29, says that fruit and nuts were constructed for man. (2) From a standpoint of beauty the whole earth would be better as a garden planted with vineyards, nut groves and fruit orchards. (3) An acre under pasture will not support one-sixth of human flesh that it will under fruit and nuts. (4) Grain and vegetable growing abnormally deplete the soil, and its long continuance would turn this continent into a second Sahara desert. (5) Fish, (5) Fish, and not animal manure, is the normal fertilizer of the soil. (6) The Roman soldier, who conquered the world by his muscle, was fed on fruits and nuts. The date-eating Dervishes are physically the best race in the world today. (7) By living on fruits and nuts we have God for our cook, and therefore have no servantgirl problem, neither are we poisoned with salt, or other seasonings, or any manprepared abominations. (8) I have given all kinds of diets a thorough test myself, and find that I need less sleep, I sleep better, I am muscularly and mentally stronger for living on a fruit and nut diet, than

I am on a meat, graie or vegetable diet.

There is a crazy old lie going up and down the earth, that "what is one man's food is another man's poison," which is believed by millions. Now, all human beings are constructed alike as far as the digestive apparatus is concerned and merely differ in degree only, and what is one man's poison is every man's poison. For there is only one God, one law and one class of food that is best for all mankind. For whatsoever I sow I must reap; therefore I ask not my fellow man to either wade in the dung of animals nor wallow in their blood for my stomach's sake, for if truth is known, my stomach and my teeth are much better off without such food. If the stomach of man is made for turning fruit and nuts into blood, how far short of our real strength shall we attain if we handicap that organ by supplying it with inferior food such as flesh, grains, vegetables and minerals, and patent foods? But food alone will not make a man strong, for if we ENDEAVOR to get strong we can get strong on bad and inferior foods,—but we can always get stronger still on the right food in the right quantity.

PRODUCES SUPERIOR POWERS.

"That it is easily possible to sustain life on the products of the vegetable kingdom needs no demonstration for physiologists, even if a majority of the human race were not constantly engaged in demonstrating it, and my researches show not only that it is possible, but that it is infinitely preferable in every way, and produces superior powers both of mind and body."-Alex. Haig, M. D., F. R. C. P.

A VEGETARIAN TWENTY-FIVE

YEARS.

The fruit and grain diet is God's diet for man, and "God changes not." But the "lords and gods many" who tried to lord it over God's heritage, told the people that they could eat certain kinds of animals, but the All-Wise Creator never bid man to kill or eat flesh. Jesus, whom the people worship as a Savior, called deadflesh thieves. If, therefore, man makes himself up of thieves, is it any wonder that theft, robbery and murder prevail? God piped the blood of life through closed veins in all flesh, that it should not be spilt or shed on the ground, lest it would cry out: "Why hast thou cast us out before our time ?"

In regard to myself, I would say that no life shall be sacrificed and no blood shed to gratify a blood-thirsty appetite, and at the bar of eternal justice it will not be asked of me, "Why hast thou killed us?" or, "Why hast thou deprived us of our God-given rights, to transform people into cannibalism?" I have lived over twenty-five years on a bloodless diet. Moreover, my hands will never be stained with life's innocent blood, nor my body, the temple of the spirit, made into a den of thieves, or a graveyard for dead corpses, or a sepulcher for bloody, dead carcasses, or a shamble-house for dead flesh. And no tobacco will enter this sacred domain, nor tea, coffee or liquor abuse God's paradise, the house not made with hands. Since we have lived on this Edenic diet, I have no anger, madness, revenge-nothing to mar the peace of my life. I have only love, peace, kindness and good-will toward all.

Let every thought and word accord With God's most holy will;

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SEVEN POUNDS IN SEVEN DAYS. To the Editor: Theory is a child of the mind only. To be successful in becoming positive of the science of life one must thoroughly know himself, the functions of his own vital system, search the open book of nature for her laws, then fearlessly test principle as he advances. By so doing he may know his god, and the mode of life that will best develop mentally and physically. The writer is a strict vegetarian. His vegetarianism was born, not of theory, but of a natural desire to know what man and his natural diet are. He has experimented with himself and knows that in the vegetable kingdom is found nature's ideal food for man. The writer has seen two New England winters, clad in a medium weight suit of clothes; he has ridden and walked long distances without the slightest discomfort from exposure to the rigors of winter. A seven days' test of muscular vitality last month in the hay field resulted in a gain of seven pounds in weight, taking nothing during this time but whole wheat as food. To every vegetarian he would say, set your minds upon an ideal for man; then fearlessly fight your way toward it. It will not be a long, bitter struggle for nothing, but you will grow strong and enjoy a degree of health little dreamed of now. You will see new beauties in nature, hear nature's voice more distinctly, and will truly bless the God who is Father of us all. A. PERRY FLANDERS.

VEGETARIAN SOCIETY OF AMERICA Conducted by the President, Rev. Henry S. Clubb.

THE NEW YORK VEGETARIAN
SOCIETY.

The January meeting of the above society was held at Civic Hall, 128 E. Twentyeighth street, New York, on the 22d.

Dr. A. L. Wood read a paper on "The Influences of Water upon Health and Longevity." The necessity of having pure water was insisted on. An interesting discussion by specialists followed.

The society announces the following officers for 1902: President, Ernest H. Crosby, 19 Liberty street, New York; vice presidents, John Walter Scott, Mrs. Wm. M. Kingsley; treasurer, W. Wallace Grant, 64 South Oxford street, Brooklyn, N. Y.; secretary, Charles A. Montgomery, Post Office Box 888, New York City.

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tomato sauce, stewed potatoes, cauliflower in cream, spinach with egg, lettuce, salad mayonnaise, olives, celery, radishes, sliced oranges with bananas, tea, chocolate and coffee.

"Among the after-dinner speakers were Professor Charles Sprague Smith, John Walter Scott, W. Wallace Grant, Dr. A. L. Wood, Mrs. Emma Beckwith (of "The Rainy Dayses'), J. R. Abarnell (of the XII Club), Dr. J. T. Thomas (the raw food advocate), David Rousseau, and the secretary of the society, Charles A. Mont

gomery.

"One of the features of the evening which elicited much merriment was a vegetarian song, by George Brunswick."

FAMOUS OPERATIC PERFORMER ADDRESSES NEW YORK VEGETARIANS.

The New York Society held a special meeting at Carnegie Hall, Friday evening, Feb. 14th, in honor of Mme. Lillie Lehman, the distinguished prima donna, who addressed the members. In deference to the wishes of Mme. Lehman this meeting took the place of the vegetarian banquet which the society had originally planned.

Mme. Lehmann has been a strict vegetarian for the last seven years, having recovered from complete nervous prostration by the adoption of this dietary, and is very enthusiastic about it, not only from the hygienic, but even more so from the humanitarian standpoint.

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Mme. Lehman while here visited the menagerie at Lincoln Park, and was shocked at the treatment of the animals there, particularly at the way they are sheltered in winter. "I was in the menagerie at Lincoln Park ten years ago," she said, "and saw wolves and foxes without any protection against snow, rain or storm, and was so terribly annoyed by it that I wrote to the director about it. I received no answer. I see that the poor animals are still in their terrible little stone houses without any covering overhead at all and that they are still obliged to lie on the cold stones. The poor wolves can hardly walk for rheumatism-everything is as it was before. It is pitiful. I have just written again to the gentleman in charge, suggesting that I want him to be in one of these houses just one night in the storm and wind and told him he must feel ashamed when he goes to his warm bed without a thought for the poor animals under his care, who are shivering and freezing on their beds of cold stones.

"As I am obliged to leave the city, I am unable to follow the case, and I will place

it in your hands. They have such a large place at the park-why cannot these abused animals have larger quarters and some boxes of wood with straw in? When I saw that this was what was needed in the New York menagerie, I went to Director Smith and proposed that he provide such boxes, and the next day they were there. But the man here does not seem to be so reasonable, and I am afraid he will do nothing in this direction. Please do not let the case go over, and bring it to the attention of the society against cruelty to animals. It is terrible to think of it-to be imprisoned twenty or twenty-five years in a cage and not have room for exercise or warm beds in winter. I assure you I am deeply offended by the

idea alone."

THE VEGETARIAN is bringing the matter to the notice of the humane society and to the park officials in authority, and hopes that hereafter the abused creatures in the Lincoln Park menagerie will be properly housed at least, as a result of Mme. Lehman's efforts in their behalf.

THE ST. LOUIS SOCIETY.

George J. Heid, an analytical chemist of this city, will deliver an extensive paper upon "Vegetarianism, Its Principles and Growth," at the March meeting of the Vegetarian Club of St. Louis.

DR. BOWMAN AT 92.

Dr. Jonas Bowman, living at 1415 South Fifty-fifth street, Philadelphia, writes: "As you are aware, I am now in my ninety-second year, since October 29th, and travel very little if weather is dry. I go to my place sometimes (Collegeville). My health is measurably

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