6 ANIMAL FOOD EESOUKCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



never rendered a restriction to it indispensable; the 

 nearest approach to it is probably among the higher 

 classes of Hindoos, but these are greater consumers of 

 milk and butter, of vegetable oils and pulses, which con- 

 tain the same chemical elements as animal food. Some 

 tropical races, such as the Malays, have been supposed to; 

 be almost exclusively consumers of fruits and vegetables, 

 which is not true, for they are large consumers of fish 

 and of vegetable oils, or of substances containing these 

 oils, as the cocoanut and ground pea or earth nut." 



A recent writer, speaking of human diet, observes : 

 " It is a remarkable circumstance that man alone is pro- 

 vided with a case of instruments adapted to the masti- 

 cation of all substances — teeth to cut and pierce and 

 champ and grind ; a gastric solvent too, capable of con- 

 tending with anything and everything, raw substances, 

 and cooked, ripe and rotten, nothing comes amiss to 

 him." 



If animals could speak, as jSlsop and other fabulists 

 make them seem to do, they would declare man the most 

 voracious animal in existence. There is scarcely any 

 living thing that flies in the air, swims in the sea, or 

 moves on the land, that is not made to minister to his.- 

 appetite. The daily food, however, varies in different 

 ages and different climates. Queen Elizabeth and heri 

 ladies breakfasted on meat, bread and strong ale. Our 

 modern ladies take tea and coffee and thin slices of toast) 

 or bread. The Esquimaux drink train oil, and the Cos- 1 

 sacks koumiss, an ardent spirit made from mare's milk. 

 The inhabitants of France and Germany eat much more 

 largely than we do of vegetable diet, and drink at all' 

 times of the day thin acid wines. 



In Devonshire and Herefordshire an acid cider is the: 

 common beverage, and in the Highlands of Scotland 

 oatmeal porridge is in a great measure the food and 

 whisky the drink of the inhabitants. The Irish peasant 

 lives chiefly on potatoes, and the Hindoo on rice. Yet 

 all this variety and much more is digested, yields nutri- 

 ment, and promotes growth ; aflfording undeniable evi- 



