SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 269 



say? But it is a fact ; meat is conceded to be a necessity, and 

 fruit a luxury. 



At one time a tropical climate existed over the earth, even to 

 the poles. Everywhere the original man lived upon wild fruit, 

 which he gleaned from the trees ; but in the absence of his nat- 

 ural food, rather than starve, he killed an animal at his command 

 and partook of its flesh, with which he saved life. This necessity, 

 rather than adaptability, led primitive man to the consumption of 

 meat. But there is no further necessity for continuing the flesh 

 diet in America, as we can live on bread and fruit nearly the 

 entire year, and a wise adoption of a bread and fruit diet would 

 result in great benefit to mankind. Thus, one would become 

 warm without being excited to intense heat, and would be less 

 liable to be affected by contagious diseases; the muscles would 

 attain their highest power, the whole appearance become beauti- 

 ful, and nature would reach its highest perfection. Chronic dis- 

 eases may be cured, and many diseases which have their origin 

 in a fatty condition of the food may be relieved by a fruit diet; 

 and although so simple and easy a treatment, we are safe in pre- 

 dicting for it no great popularity. There are many, we fear, who 

 will choose rather to be sick than deny themselves, rather than 

 substitute fruits for meat, pies, &c. We will eat, and we suffer, 

 too; enjoying our good dinner from 12 o'clock to 1, suffering 

 with headache till the next meal, when we will try to eat some- 

 thing to keep our strength up. Happy is the individual who will 

 give this method a trial. The man or child who does not thus 

 diet may be reasonably well, but doubtless we are safe in saying 

 that they would be as well on less. In my experience as a 

 teacher, I could but notice the difference in the aptness to learn 

 between the light and the heavy eaters. The pale, heavy com- 

 plexion, which is caused by a lack of nourishing food and a 

 neglect of exercise, and the rough, pimply skin, may be replaced 

 by one of smoothness by following a fruit diet. A fatty diet will 

 cause even a monkey's face to break out in eruption. 



The bread and fruit diet is now in much more general use in 

 Germany than one might suppose; because of its cheapness, 

 many are forced to it. Sweet brown bread and fruit ! What 

 meats can compare with them? Much nervous force is used in 

 digesting food not needed; might not this be better spent? God 

 pity the man who is content to spend his God-given powers in 

 eating and sleeping. Is not the life more than meat? The won- 

 derful possibilities of this kind of a life may be seen by noting 

 the effect upon a gentleman of Cincinnati, who, although eighty- 

 three years of age, knows not what suffering is, having never felt 

 an ache or a pain. He uses no meat nor grease, and has not for 

 fifty years, and attributes his freedom from sickness to his ab- 

 stemious habits. Gladstone, too, gives all the credit of his won- 

 derful power to his simple manner of living. What does Paul 



