232 MORE POT-POURRI 



and not food, and are injurious to the nervous system. 

 Who would not have laughed, a few years ago, at the 

 statement that tea -drinking in lax'ge quantities produces 

 a form of delirium tremens f And yet the illness is now 

 quite recognised as existing among the under -fed who 

 drink tea in excess. The craving for stimulants of some 

 kind is universal, especially when nourishment is insuf- 

 ficient. This proves, I think, that what is most wished 

 for is not always best for us. 



The law, and generally our own inclination, obliges 

 us to leave the treatment of disease, once acquired, in 

 the hands of doctors and surgeons, and this in spite of 

 the many mistakes they make — often grievous mistakes, 

 such as cutting people open and then merely sewing 

 them up again because nothing is wrong, or leaving 

 pieces of lint or even forceps inside after operations. 

 Both these cases have come under my knowledge. 

 Knowing of these things only depresses one and does no 

 good. But the maintaining of health from babyhood 

 upwards and the prevention of disease — for these, to my 

 mind, all human beings are individually responsible, 

 both as regards themselves and their children. The 

 more the latest and most conflicting scientific theories 

 on the subject are known by everybody the better. 



For all who are interested in the subject of non- 

 meat-eating, much general information (cooking and 

 other) is to be got from 'The Vegetarian,' a weekly 

 penny newspaper. It is, of course, written from the sen- 

 timental point of view of the non- killing of animals, 

 the health of man being considered as only secondary. 

 Everyone with any understanding must have his feel- 

 ings aroused by the sufferings of animals, whether 

 caused by man or by each other. The killing of ani- 

 mals comes under a dififerent category. Anyone who 

 keeps cows knows well the sad order that has to go 



