VEGETARIANISM
The London Vegetarian Society was founded in 1847. When Newman joined it,
therefore, it was, so to speak, in its childhood. It will easily be
understood, therefore, that much amazement was excited (as is shown by the
following letters), by his fellow guests at some large dinner parties at
which he was present, when Newman withstood valiantly the long siege of
savoury dishes at his elbow; and it seemed as if, though present in body,
he was absent in appetite. This amazement was scarcely lessened when,
after passing seventeen dishes, at length he threw the gates of his
personal fortress open before some small omelet (prepared specially for
him by the cook), and that, practically, formed his entire dinner!
To Newman's mind the theory of Vegetarianism was proved. He published some
_Essays on Diet_; and was always an exponent of its rational claims on
mankind.
Since the days when he wrote up the subject, many people have come over to
his way of thinking, and the way is made easy for those who wish to follow
its _obiter dicta_ for health.
But it is quite as keenly a subject for debate now as formerly among a
large proportion of men, though perhaps few among anti-vegetarians would
dispute the point that there are, and must be, certain conditions involved
by anti-vegetarianism which can hardly be evaded, or defended. One of
these conditions, of course, is that it is not always possible to detect
some diseases in flesh sold for food: and that these diseases are
communicable to man; another, the degrading spectacle of the slaughter-
house; another, the presence in our midst of the butcher's shop, with all
its revolting display: [Footnote: I have not forgotten that M. Zola
contended that the atmosphere of a butcher's shop conduced to the best and
most healthy complexions of those who served in it!] another, as Mr.
Josiah Oldfield points out to us, that "horticulture ... would employ an
enormously greater amount of labour than does stock-raising, and so tend
to afford a counter current to the present downward drift, and to
congested labour centres." Mr. Oldfield urges also that "all elements for
perfect nutrition in assimilable forms are found in a proper vegetarian
dietary."
I have not opportunity for finding out in what years Newman took up this
practical dietary of vegetarianism for himself, but I think it must have
been towards the latter end of his life. Mention will be found in the
Reminiscences contributed by Mrs. Bainsmith, the sculptor, relating to his
bringing across occasionally, when she and her father and mother lived
just opposite the Professor's house at Weston-super-Mare, some
particularly delicious vegetarian dish (concocted by his own cook), which
he had thought his friends could not fail to appreciate.
The following letters have been kindly sent me for reproduction by Mr. F.
P. Doremus in connection with Newman's views on Vegetarianism:--
_To Mr. F. P. Doremus from Professor Newman._
"_21st Sept._, 1883.
"Dear Sir,
* * * * *
"I _deliberately prefer_ the rule of our Society and by preference adhere
to it. But I have never interpreted it as severely as I find some to do.
On some occasions, in early years, when I could get no proper vegetarian
food, I have eaten some small bit of ham fat (as I remember on _one_
occasion) to aid dry potato from sticking in my throat. I do not interpret
our rule as forbidding _exceptional_ action _under stress of difficulty_.
But when I found what a fuss was made about this, and saw that many people
took the opportunity of _inferring_ that a simple act implied a habit, I
saw that it was unwise to give anyone a handle of attack....
"I can only say that I interpret our rules conscientiously, and obey them
according to my interpretation faithfully. I do not see in our profession
any vow or engagement comparable to that about _never tasting_
intoxicating drink. If my wife, who is not a professed vegetarian (though
in practice she is all but one), asks me to taste a bit of flesh and
see... whether it is good, I find nothing in our rules to forbid my
gratifying her _curiosity_. In that case I do not take it _as diet_ to
nourish me nor to gratify me. My words of adhesion simply declared that I
had abstained from such _food_ for half a year, and _I intended to abstain
in the future_. Of course this forbids my _habit_ or any _intention_ to
the contrary; but I deprecate interpreting this as a vow or as a trap and
a superstition. One who feels and believes as I do the vast superiority of
our vegetarian food, never can desire, unless perhaps in some abnormal
state of illness, the inferior food....
"Faithfully yours,
"F. W. Newman."
"_1st Oct._, 1883.
"Dear Sir,
"... On reading yours anew after some ten days or less, I think I ought to
notice what you say of an unknown publisher.
"I cannot remember that for twenty years I have ever eaten in the company
of any well-known publisher (anyone known to _me_ as a publisher) except
Mr. Nicolas Trübner _before_ I joined the Vegetarians, and _one other_
more recently. The latter was in the house of a lady friend who always
anxiously humoured me by providing a _special dish_ for me.
"Her cook was not skilful in _our_ cookery, but did her best. I remember
distinctly who was present on this occasion with this respected publisher.
It was a luncheon with meats. I ate at the same table, and it may very
easily have escaped his notice that a different dish was handed to me.
* * * * *
"I have several times sat at this friend's table with a large number of
guests. I remember once counting that seventeen dishes were handed to me.
I dined on my own food to the great marvel of those near me....
"I have always maintained that the main reason for proclaiming any _rule_
of diet is, that the outsiders may be afforded facts to aid their own
judgment; and that our engagement has no other element of obligation than
that we shall not vitiate the materials of such judgment.
"Therefore also I have advocated several grades--for instance, an
engagement allowing of _fish_ as food (which many will take who will not
go our length), and another in which absence from home (where one cannot
arrange the cookery) is an exemption. I rejoice also in the Daniclete
rule. Provided that it is KNOWN what is the diet, we give valuable
information."
"_14th Oct._, 1883.
* * * * *
"I knew that the publisher to whom you referred could only be Mr. Kegan
Paul, who met me some few years back at luncheon in the house of my
friends the Miss Swanwicks: that until _you told_ me his name, I thought
it better not to write to him. But thereupon I wrote and explained to him
that my friend Miss Anna Swanwick knew perfectly that I could not accept
their hospitality (as I have habitually done for a week or more at a time)
if they expected me to partake of any food inconsistent with the rules of
our Society. I long ago furnished her with some of our recipes, and she
_showed her cook_ always to make a _special_ dish for me. At one of their
dinner parties I remember the amazement of guests at my passing _all_ the
dishes, as at first it seemed, until my own little dish came. I told Mr.
Kegan Paul that _he must have mistaken_ what was in my plate (perhaps
crumb omelette _browned over_--which I remember the cook was apt to give
me) for some fish of which he and others were partaking. I have no doubt
that this was the whole matter....
"I am sincerely yours,
"F. W. Newman."
The closing letter in this series is evidently an answer to some questions
from Mr. Doremus as regards Newman's portrait, and as regards the
incidents of his life.
"My life has been eminently uneventful." When one remembers in how many
questions of social reform, of theology, of written matter, Newman had
been concerned, this short sentence strikes one's eyes strangely enough.
For what is an "event"? Surely it does not mean only something which is a
carnal happening: a material outbreak in some form or other which occurs
before our eyes? Surely there are far greater spiritual "events" than
physical ones? And of _this_ kind of event Newman's life had been full.
Originality of thought, of conception, of aim, is the Event which takes
precedence of all other. And these events were strewn like Millet's
"Sower" from side to side of his path: to take the true Latin significance
of the word, they _came out_ from him.
"_31st July_, 1884.
"Dear Sir,
"Your letter has been forwarded to me from home to this place
[Keswick].... Messrs. Elliot and Fry (Baker Street, Portman Square),
recently by pressure induced me to let them take my photograph. In fact
they took four, in different positions, all judged excellent, all of
cabinet size. Each, I believe, costs 2/-. I have none at my disposal. With
or without my leave, anyone can publish them in any magazine. Now, as to
my biography--my life has been eminently uneventful. There is nothing to
tell but my studies, my successive posts as a teacher, and the list of
books, etc., from my pen, _unless one add_ the effects of study on my
CREED, which more than one among you might desire _not_ to make prominent
in the _Food Reformer_.
* * * * *
"Can I assent to the request that I will myself write something? Others
might wish to know in how many _Antis_ I have been and am engaged!!
Certainly more than you will care to make known will go into two pages of
your magazine.
"I am, sincerely yours,
"F. W. Newman."
Two letters to Dr. Nicholson from Newman I think may be given here: one in
April, 1875, and one in June, 1881, as both bear strongly on the
vegetarian question:--
"25 _April_, 1875.
"My dear Nicholson,
"How time flies! Bearded men, active in moral and political questions,
tell me they know nothing of the Austro-Hungarian events, because they
happened when they were children.
"One of them asked me to give a lecture on Austria and Hungary of the
Past, as he was curious and totally ignorant.... We are overrun with every
kind of meeting, and the public are sated....
* * * * *
"Happily every day is too short for me, and I cannot have time on my
hands.... I do not know whether you have attended the movement against
vivisection, which is becoming lively. It has long been a dire horror to
me. I rejoice to see that Sir W. Thomson, [Footnote: Sir William Thomson,
born 1843, was late President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland;
Exam. in Surgery, Queen's University and Royal College of Surgeons,
Ireland.] and other scientific men, desire a severe restriction to be put
on it. I agree heartily with those who say we have no more RIGHT to
torture a dog than to torture a man; but I fear that to move at present
with Mr. Jesse for the total prohibition will only give to the worst
practices a longer lease of life.
"Our vegetarianism is becoming more active with the pressure from the high
price of butcher's meat. Not that we make many entire conversions, but
plentiful well-wishers and half-converts, and a great increase in the
belief that _too much_ flesh meat is eaten, and that the doctors are much
to blame for having pressed it as they press wine and ale, calling it
'generous' food. At the same time it is remarkable that the argument
against slaughter-houses and for tenderness to tame animals plays a more
decisive part, especially with women, than economic and sanitary
arguments.... I am ever in experiment on something. At present it is on
cacao butter and vegetable oils. We esteem the cacao butter for _savoury
dishes_ very highly. Messrs. Cadbury sell it 'to me and my friends' for
1s. a lb. In pastry and sweets the chocolate smell offends most people;
but my wife likes it. It is too hard to spread on cold meat.
* * * * *
"The gardens are becoming sprightly. I have not had success with new
vegetables, viz. German peas, celery, turnips, Belgian red dwarf beans.
The drought last summer was bad. No _warm rain_ in spring last year.
"Ever yours heartily,
"F. W. Newman."
The following is quoted from the second letter I mentioned:--
"I send to you a Penny Vegetarian Cookery Book herewith. Surely I was a
Vegetarian when I last was with you? I began the practice in 1867. But let
me recite: (1) At breakfast and the third meal I need nothing but what all
fleshmeaters provide. (2) At dinner the utmost that I need is _one_
Vegetarian dish, which may be a soup. (3) If it so happen that you have
any _really solid_ sweet puddings that alone will suffice. (4) For the
_one_ Vegetarian dish good _brown_ bread and butter is an acceptable
substitute, or rather fulfilment. But I confess I am desirous of
propagating everywhere a knowledge of our peculiar dishes, which teach how
to turn to best account the manifold and abundant store of leaves, roots,
and grains, besides pulse.
"My wife is fully able to impart practical knowledge: to please me, and
see that others please me, she has given great attention to Vegetarian
cookery for many years back...."