A HARD-WORKING DIET. 39 
depends on the judicious selection of food suited to 
the individual constitution, or idiosyncracy, as the old 
Greeks called it. THE SUBJECT OF THE CHEMICAL 
COMPOSITION OF FOODS IS NOW RECOGNISED AS 
OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE. 
In 1862 a piteous time befell South Lancashire and 
the bordering counties. The people of the cotton 
trade had a long rest from labour. 
The greater part of the district wore an air of quiet. 
The habitual din of the mills was hushed, the engine 
fires did not send their accustomed rolls of smoke up 
chimney stacks to blacken the sky, the bleach works 
ceased to taint the air, the busy clatter and thud of 
the cotton-and-silk hand-looms was stilled in the little 
dwellings. Looking down from neighbouring hills on 
groups of towns, the aspect day by day appeared that 
of a Sabbath. But the women were not in their 
Sunday dress, and the men were not afield with their 
dogs or flying their pigeons. Their rest was no 
holiday of choice ; anxiety marred attempts at enjoy- 
ment. The quiet meant only no work was to be 
had. No work meant no money, and no money 
meant no food. The sufferings of the people were 
described by the deliberately thoughtful pen of a 
contemporary historian, well known to students of 
blue books, though perhaps but little known to 
readers furnished only with volumes through sub- 
scription or free libraries. 
“The staple industry of these densely-peopled 
districts, the industry which previously gave liveli- 
hood, direct or indirect, to two millions of population, 
had for some months been declining, and was now 
probably at not more than a sixth part of its usual 
activity. Widespread bitter poverty was of course 
F 
The first 
Government 
enquiry into 
the diet of 
artizans. 
