286 Biology in America 



his meat and his ale, and his descendants on this side of 

 the water have maintained fairly well the reputation of their 

 ancestors. But ' * those who dance must pay the fiddler ' ' and 

 high living has brought in its train not only high grocer's, 

 but high doctor 's bills and mortality rates as well. The advent 

 of meat cards and meatless days during the war brought 

 about a cut in the size of our steaks if not of our butcher's 

 bills. If this seeming privation teaches us that an excessive 

 meat diet is not essential to our health and happiness the 

 game will indeed prove ' * worth the candle. ' ' But there were 

 even in early days voices raised in warning against prevalent 

 excesses in diet. One of these was the plea for moderation 

 in eating by the English physician Thomas Cogan, published 

 in 1596 under the title "The Haven of Health," in which he 

 says: "The second thing that is to be considered of meates 

 is the quantitie, which ought of all men greatly to be re- 

 garded, for therein lyeth no small occasion of health or 

 sickness, of life or death. For as want of meate consumeth 

 the very substance of our flesh, so doth excesse and surfet 

 extinguish and suffocate naturall heat wherein life con- 

 sisteth." Again, "Use a measure in eating, that thou maist 

 live long : and if thou wilst be in health, then hold thine hands. 

 But the greatest occasion why men passe the measure in 

 eating, is varietie of meats at one meale. Which fault is 

 most common among us in England farre above all other 

 nations. For such is our custome by reason of plentie (as I 

 think) that they which be of abilitie, are served with sundry 

 sortes of meate at one meale. Yea the more we would wel- 

 come our friends the more dishes we prepare. And when we 

 are well satisfied with one dish or two, then come other more 

 delicate and procureth us by that means, to eate more than 

 nature doth require. Thus varietie bringeth us to excesse, 

 and sometimes to surfet also. But Phisicke teacheth us to 

 faede moderately upon one kinde of meate only at one meale, 

 or at leastwise not upon many of contrarie natures. . . . This 

 disease, (I mean surfet) is verie common: for common is that 

 saying and most true: That more die by surfet than by the 

 sword. And as Georgius Pictorius saith, all surfet is ill, but 

 of bread worst of all. And if nature be so strong in many, 

 and they be not sicke upon a full gorge, yet they are drowsie 

 and heavie, and more desirous to loyter than to labor, accord- 

 ing to that old master, when the belly is full, the bones would 

 be at rest. Yea the minde and wit is so oppressed and over- 

 whelmed with excesse that it lyeth as it were drowned for a 

 time, and unable to use his force." 1 



Quoted from Chittenden, ''The Nutrition of Man," pp. 166-7. 



