992. - on animal and vegetable food. 11g 
mere force of their arms, deep into the solid trunk 
~of full growing trees*. 
Every person that has before him the instance, 
‘related by travellers on these subjects, is almost for- 
-ced to draw these consequences from them,—that the 
suse of pure animal food is extremely prejudicial to 
the nature of man, as that the vegetable diet is very 
beneficial ; and that the former is as much produc- 
tive of weaknefs as the latter is of strength. These 
conclusions, however, would be as partial and false 
as the common place maxim mentioned at the be- 
ginning of this efsay. For if we compare the facts 
adduced with others, we fhall find, that we can rea- 
sonably conclude no farther from them, than that 
animal*foods do not always beget strength, and vege- 
table not always weaknefs ; and that neither the one 
wor the other are alike suitable to all climates and 
constitutions, or produce in them similar effects. 
Soil and climate, alone or principally, determine 
the noxiousnefs or utility of vegetable and animal 
nutriment. As both are immensely different in dif- 
ferent regions of the earth, so we may truly affirm, 
that the use of mere animal foods are as natural and 
‘wholesome in certain countries, as the vegetable diet 
is in others; and that both are equally unnatural 
and noxious in various climates. 
The colder the climate, and the more unfruitful 
the soil, sotmuch the more suitable and beneficent 
is the use of almost unqualified animal food. 
‘Whereas the hotter the climate, and the more fer- 
tile the soil, so much the more common is the eating 
* Gobier, luc, cit, 
