INTRODUCTION. O 



shepherds were held sacred even by the 

 enemies of their country. 



Herodotus informs us, that one of the 

 greatest princes of the East, Xerxes, when he 

 led his army into Greece, gave strict orders 

 to his soldiers not to annoy the husbandmen. 

 Among the Indians, it was held unlawful to 

 take these men in war, or to devastate their 

 plantations. 



Cultivated vegetables afford the principal 

 part of our subsistence ; for without the aid 

 of cultivation our numerous flocks and herds 

 could not be supported; and it is from the 

 same source that we derive every comfort and 

 luxury that we enjoy. They furnish our 

 wine, our oil, and our ale ; as well as the 

 greater portion of our garments and furni- 

 ture; they are the natural medicine of all 

 animals, as well as the principal one for man. 

 A medical writer of eminence says, " Vege- 

 table food is not only necessary to secure 

 health, but long life. In infancy and youth 

 we should be confined to it mostly ; in man- 

 hood, and decay of life, use animal ; and 

 near the end, vegetable again." 



I am persuaded, says Dr. Veitch, that it 

 will be invariably found true, that those who 

 are living on animal food, are more impetu- 



