• HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF VEGETARIANISM. 463 



most effectual means of reforming mankind. It would entirely abolish that 

 greatest of curses, ivar; for those who are so conscientious as not to kill ani- 

 mals, will never murder human beings. On all these accounts the system can 

 not be too much recommended. The practice of abstaining can not be wrong; 

 it must therefore be some consolation to be on the side of duty. If we err, we 

 err on the sure side: it is innocent; it is infinitely better authorized and more 

 nearly associated with religion, virtue and humanity than the contrary practice. 



(Cf. Alcott, pp. 214-215.) 



One more quotation must suffice to indicate the spirit of the early 

 modern vegetarian literature. Its author was J. A. Glei'zes, an ec- 

 centric writer of several volumes, who became a favorite of the Vege- 

 tarian Society. In the preface to 'Thalysie, ou la nouvelle existence' 



(3 vols., 1840-1842) he wrote: 



Je me propose d'y demonstrer: 



1°. Que I'homme n'est point animal de proie; qu'il est, au contraire, par sa 

 nature, la plus douce de toutes les creatures, ainsi que devait I'gtre la derni&re 

 et la plus noble expression d'un Dieu grand, bon et juste. 



2°. Que le meurtre des animaux est la principale source de ses erreurs et 

 de ses crimes, comme I'usage de se nourrir de leur chair est la cause prochaine 

 de sa laideur, de ses maladies, et de la court dur#e de son existence. 



3°. Que cet 6tat d'^garement est dans une opposition directe avec sa 

 destin^e ult^rieure dans le sens commungment attache a ce mot, autrement 

 dit, la vie hors de la terre; tandis que la privation de cet acte, ou, pour parler 

 positif, le regime des herbes, dgveloppe en lui la beautg I'intelligence, la vertu, 

 et le fruit immortel qui en est le dernier rgsultat. 



It is unnecessary to multiply examples in order to emphasize how 

 diverse have been the actuating impulses of the vegetarians of history. 

 Like England and America, Germany has had its vegetarian movement 

 which developed particularly under the leadership of Ed. Baltzer. The 

 first German vegetarian society was founded by him in 1869. Here, as 

 elsewhere, the system proposed has never received broad recognition 

 among the masses of the people, but has rather been confined to small 

 bands of enthusiasts. Even among the latter there is no unanimity 

 of plan. The most radical reformers have abstained not alone from 

 all food of animal origin, but also from tubers and underground roots, 

 eating only fruits and vegetables grown in the sunlight; others again 

 reject the cereals and live on fruits, nuts and milk; while the most 

 conservative exclude only fish, flesh and fowl from their diet. Among 

 the latter groups may be arranged the so-called fruitarians who abstain 

 from all food obtained by infliction of pain. The student of the psy- 

 chology of the vegetarian faith can not fail to be impressed by the 

 diversity of the elements which have convinced its expounders. Phys- 

 iological and anatomical arguments based on the comparative structure 

 and functions of the digestive organs have vied with considerations of 

 economy, morality and religion. From the standpoint of hygiene, the 

 dangers of disease lurking in animal flesh have been pointed out; to 

 other persons the encouragement of horticulture and the racial im- 



