is not the question of how much food we ought to eat equally urgent
whether we are vegetarian or omnivorous? I think it is. I do not think
that the chief cause of our illnesses to-day is taking wrong or
unsuitable food. In my opinion we are ill mainly because we take
suitable food too often and because we take too much of it. My answer
to the question, therefore--"How Much Should We Eat?--A
Warning"--turns on the previous question: What is the Function
performed by Food in the Body? As I think that this function in the
grown body is only to restore the waste, the warning in my mind is
far rather that we should take less than that we should (as M.D.
advises us) take more. I agree with him in the view that "chronic
starvation is insidious." But, as I believe that "chronic starvation"
is usually a form of Dr King Chambers's "starvation from
over-repletion" and of Dr Dewey's "starvation from over-feeding," I am
bound to be of the consequent opinion that it is to be met, not by
increase, but by diminution of the diet. This is one of my reasons for
thinking that none of us ought ever to eat oftener than twice a day,
under fifty years of age, and that after that we would do well to eat
once a day only. I feel sure that if we altered our habits in these
ways, we should add very much both to the duration and to the
efficiency of life. This is not a question of dietetics only. The
issue is of the most practical character. What an addition of five or
ten or fifteen or twenty or twenty-five years to the average duration
of life might mean to this people and still more to the people of the
whole globe is unpredictable by mortal man. But it is evident that it
would be of the very greatest import to humanity. This is the great
issue of the discussion of this subject. It seems to me that illness
might be enormously diminished and health and efficiency and happiness
immensely increased. But I think that these boons might be obtained,
not by indulging the body and its appetites, but only by the exercise
of a wise restraint and government over it. It is at least very much
to be desired that more agreement might be manifested in the opinions
and practice of qualified physiologists so that the public might have
clear guidance, and not as at present, be advised in ways so
conflicting that they do not know what or whom to believe.
A. RABAGLIATI, M.D.
* * * * *
_To Tourists:_
Every little village has a little shop where you can buy nasty little
sweets.
PICKLED PEPPERCORNS.
He was a native of Liverpool, but had liver for many years in the
Isle of Wight--_Edmonton_ (Canada) _Journal_.
Funny he didn't go to Poole and leave his liver behind him.
* * * * *
REAL FLESH FOOD FOUND AT LAST.
--From an advt. in daily papers.
Evidently we have all been vegetarians and knew it not.
* * * * *
Nothing can replace salt.--From an advt. in _Punch_.
Many food reformers advantageously replace salt with nothing.
* * * * *
The golf craze has been greater this autumn than in any previous
year. Nobody is quite safe from the fever. It seizes those who
mocked at it, and pays no respect to sex or age.--_British
Weekly_.
By the time the next Medical Congress comes round it is expected that
at least three distinguished bacteriologists will have discovered the
golf-fever microbe. They will probably agree to call it _Mashilococcus
Caddes_.
* * * * *
Between lunch and dinner take another tumbler of water cold. Take
a glass of cold water half-an-hour after lunch, half-an-hour
after tea, half-an-hour after dinner, and before going to bed at
night. Never drink between meals.--_Woman's Life_.
All other methods failing, try putting your watch half-an-hour on
after each meal.
* * * * *
I once got a circular from a man who grew potatoes containing his
photograph, and, I think, an autobiography.--_Musical Standard_.
Not nearly so convenient as one of those automatic egg-stamping
hens.
* * * * *
_Stop-Press News._
A "pocket clipper" has been invented (according to a certain
catalogue) which can be used for the beard or hair at back of
neck.
But surely people who can do anything so clever as grow a beard
on the back of the neck ought not to be tempted to clip it off.
PETER PIPER.
HEALTHY LIFE RECIPES.
MORE EGG DISHES.
In our issue of May 1912 we published a number of special recipes for
eggs. These were much appreciated. And even now this and other back
numbers are asked for. We now give some further recipes.
It should be remembered that eggs are a simple form of animal food and
much purer than meat. They are also easily digested by most people.
They therefore form a very useful substitute for flesh-foods,
especially where the latter have only recently been discarded.
The normal progress towards a more or less ideal diet involves, of
course, the elimination of eggs as well as of other dairy products.
But wise food reform proceeds always by steps.
SAVOURY BAKED EGGS.
Melt a little butter, or vegetable fat, in an open earthenware baking
dish; break into this as many eggs as required. Cover thinly with
grated cheese; add a knob of butter and bake till set. The dish can be
placed direct on the table.
EGG ON TOMATO.[13]
One egg, two medium-sized tomatoes, butter.
Skin the tomatoes; cut in halves and put them, with a small piece of
butter, into a small stewpan. Close lightly, and cook slowly until
reduced to a pulp. Break the egg into a cup, and slide it gently on to
the tomato. Replace the pan lid and the egg will poach in the steam
rising from the tomato.
[13] This recipe is from _The Healthy Life Cook Book_, a new and
revised edition of which is in contemplation.
SAVOURY EGG FRITTERS.
Six eggs, two large tomatoes, half-teaspoon mixed dried herbs,
about three tablespoons ground biscuits ("Ixion" or any of the
unsweetened "P.R." kinds).
Hard boil three of the eggs and chop them finely. Skin the tomatoes,
mash them and add to the chopped eggs with the remaining eggs (well
beaten), herbs and biscuit powder. Should the mixture be too moist to
mould add more biscuit powder; if too dry add a little water. Cut and
shape into finger shapes and either fry in olive oil or bake on
buttered tin or open earthenware baking dish. (The last-mentioned is
the best method, as the baking dish can be brought to the table as it
is, and there is only one dish instead of two to wash up afterwards.)
SAVOURY EGG PATTIES.
The above Egg Fritter mixture made rather moist may be used as a
filling for savoury patties.
Make for these a short crust with 1/2 lb. of Artox meal, 3 oz. of
Nutter and water. Slightly bake the shells of pastry (made thin)
before adding the filling, and finish to a golden brown.
Serve these and the fritters with either brown gravy or white sauce.
SWEET EGG SOUFFLE.
Five eggs, 3/4 lb. soft cane sugar, 1 oz. ground rice, 2 oz. of
butter, rind of half a lemon.
Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs. Beat up the yolks and sift
in the ground rice, sugar and grated rind of the lemon. To this batter
add the well-whisked whites. Well heat the butter in a frying pan,
turn in the batter and fry over gentle heat till set. Fold over the
edges and place on well-greased flat dish and bake for barely a
quarter of an hour. Sift over some soft cane sugar and serve very hot.
SNOW EGGS.
Three eggs, one and a quarter pints of milk, a teaspoon of soft
cane sugar, vanilla flavouring.
Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs and whisk the whites to a
very stiff froth with the sugar. Put the milk into a saucepan and when
it boils drop in whites of eggs in small pieces shaped between two
dessert spoons. Only a little should be cooked at a time in this way,
and each should be allowed to poach for two minutes, and when done
should be taken out with a slice and put on a sieve to drain. When all
the whites are used in this way, strain the milk and add it to the
well-beaten yolks. Pour into a double saucepan and stir over the fire
till the custard thickens; flavour with vanilla to taste.
When _cold_ pour into a dish and lay the snow eggs on top.
(Kindly supplied by Mrs Edith Wilkinson.)
EGG-RAISED CHERRY CAKE.
9 oz. good "standard" flour, 5 oz. Nutter (or other nut fat), 5
oz. cane castor sugar, 2 oz. preserved cherries (glace), 2 oz.
well-washed sultanas, 2 oz. ground almonds, four eggs, outer rind
of lemon (grated).
Beat Nutter and sugar to a cream; add eggs one by one, beating all the
time; have ready the flour, with the fruit, grated lemon rind and
ground almonds mixed in, and add gradually to the above mixture,
beating all the time, and until of even consistency throughout. Line a
cake tin with double thickness of buttered paper, pour in the mixture
and bake in moderate oven about one and a half hours.
_Any housewife who doubts the possibility of making light and dainty
cakes without the now customary baking powder and baking soda, etc.,
should try the above recipe. No one could wish for a more excellent
cake._
NOTE ON CASSEROLES.
Now that casserole cookery (_i.e._ cooking in earthenware dishes, both
open and covered) is becoming more widely known and practised, readers
will be glad to know that many housewives believe in boiling new
earthenware before using it, as this effectually toughens and hardens
it. This is particularly efficacious in the case of ordinary brown
kitchenware, the articles being placed in a large pan of cold water
which is then brought slowly to the boil. After being allowed to boil
for ten minutes remove the pan and allow the water to cool before
taking out the ware.
HEALTH QUERIES.
_Under this heading our contributor, Dr Valentine Knaggs, deals
briefly month by month, and according as space permits, with questions
of general interest to health seekers and others._
_In all Queries relating to health difficulties it is essential that
full details of the correspondent's customary diet should be clearly
given._
_Correspondents are earnestly requested to write on _one side only of
the paper_, giving full name and address, not for publication, but as
a guarantee of good faith. When an answer is required by post a
stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed._--[EDS.]
EXCESSIVE PERSPIRATION.
Miss R.E.N. writes.--I am troubled with excessive perspiration. I
neither eat meat nor drink tea. I have a cold sponge bath down to
my waist every morning, and I change all my clothes when I go to
bed. My diet is, roughly, as follows:
_Breakfast._--Oatmeal porridge with toast or bread and jam or
golden syrup. Hot water.
_Lunch._--Peas, beans or lentils, eggs, cheese. Vegetables:
potatoes and onions, or carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips.
Puddings, fruit or milk wholemeal bread, not much sugar except
for sweetening fruits, etc.
_Tea meal._--Wholemeal bread and butter, nuts, jam, cake, pastry;
hot water.
_At bedtime._--Hot water or coffee.
If our correspondent wishes to remedy this excessive perspiration she
must get a hot towel-bath daily (all over),[14] wearing porous
linen-mesh underclothing next the skin. She should also discontinue
the soft sugary and starchy foods, and not mix fruit with other foods
(it is best taken by itself, say, for breakfast). She needs more of
the cooling salad vegetables. The following diet would be a great
improvement:--
_On rising._--Half-pint of hot boiled water, sipped slowly.
_Breakfast._--Wholemeal bread or biscuits and butter (all made
without salt), with salad or grated raw roots. Stop porridge, jam and
golden syrup. Avoid drinking at meals.
_Lunch._--Two eggs, or 2 oz. of curd cheese. Two vegetables cooked in
casserole without salt; wholemeal bread or biscuits and butter; a few
figs, prunes, dried bananas, or raisins, washed but not cooked. Avoid
milk puddings or stewed fruits as too fermentative and heating.
_Supper meal._--1 to 2 oz. flaked nuts, some crisp "P.R." or "Ixion"
biscuits with nut butter. Some fresh salad or grated roots. Stop jam,
cake and pastry.
_At bedtime._--Half-pint of hot boiled water, or clear vegetable soup,
sipped slowly.
[14] The Sanum Oxygen Baths are also excellent in a case of this kind.
DIET FOR ULCERATED THROAT.
Mrs L.B. writes.--Do you think it would be wise for a person
suffering from ulcers in the throat and on other mucous membranes
to adopt a diet devoid of meat, yeast and salt?
It would certainly be wise to discard meat and salt in a case of this
kind, but yeast is sometimes useful taken as "unflavoured Marmite."
The chief cause of ulcers is the abuse of the soft cereal and sugary
foods. In a case of this sort I should advise a diet consisting
exclusively of well-dextrinised cereals--_e.g._ Granose, Melarvi,
etc.--with plenty of grated raw roots and finely chopped salads and
tomatoes. This can be combined with curd cheese, raw or lightly cooked
eggs, flaked nuts or Brusson Jeune bread as the proteid part of the
diet.
FARMING AND SCIATICA.
Mrs A.C.B. writes.--For two months my husband, who leads an
active open-air life, has had severe pain all down the back of
his left leg. It is like neuralgia, and comes on worse when
sitting. He has been a farmer all his life, but is anything but
strong and constantly taking cold. Are these pains likely to be
due to wrong food?
This pain is evidence of sciatica. Chills alone will not produce
sciatica, which has its real cause in the system being choked up with
acids and toxins of various kinds. In such a case as this, warm water
enemas should be taken freely to clear the colon well; sugar, milk and
all starchy mushy foods should be strictly avoided; vegetables should
be taken either as baked roots or as fresh salads; eggs and cheese
should be substituted for meat; and plenty of fresh butter should be
taken. Boiled water, _between meals_, will be good, but nothing should
be given to drink with food. Salt, pickles, and greasy or highly
flavoured foods should be avoided.
TEMPORARY "BRIGHT'S DISEASE" AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.
Miss E. would like to know what kind of diet is suitable for one
who has been suffering from Bright's Disease following a serious
illness. Why should meat have any bad effect upon the kidneys?
She does not take it, although her medical man advises the use of
it at once.
It is not an uncommon thing for people who have suffered from an acute
septic fever to find albumen temporarily present in the urine. This is
due to the irritant action of the toxins and other poisons (which the
fever is the means of ejecting) upon the structure of the kidneys. The
kidneys are filters and they remove the bulk of the soluble waste of
the body.
The practitioner frequently finds albumenuria in cases of scarlet
fever, typhoid fever, diphtheria, etc., and the object of his
treatment is to prevent this condition of kidney irritation from
becoming an established disease (Bright's disease).
Flesh foods, and especially meat extracts and meat soups, are the
worst possible wherewith to feed these fever cases, because they throw
so much extra work upon the kidneys. Meat is composed mainly of
proteids. It also contains the urinary wastes and the toxins (due to
fear) which were in the animal's body and on the way to elimination
when it was killed.
This sufferer should take one meal per day consisting of fresh fruit
only; the rest of the diet should consist of salad vegetables and
finely grated raw roots, home-made curd cheese, dextrinised cereals
(such as Melarvi biscuits, Shredded Wheat, "P.R." crackers, Granose
biscuits, Grape-Nuts, twice-baked standard bread, etc.) and fresh or
nut butter.
PHOSPHORUS AND THE NERVES.
W.H.H. writes:--I should be very grateful if Dr Knaggs could help
me with any information or hints regarding phosphaturia. I suffer
much from this troublesome complaint.
We have to remember that the nervous system is two-fold. The one, or
conscious portion, consists of the brain and spinal cord, from which
all the nerves or branches travel to all parts of the body and give us
dominion over them. The other, or subconscious, called the sympathetic
nervous system, lies on either side of the front of the spine as two
long chains with centres, or ganglia, at intervals. This second system
is not within our control and has to do with the regulation of our
vegetative functions, including the bulk of the digestive process.
All nerves, whether they come from the brain or from the sympathetic
system, ranging to their smallest terminals, are built alike of cells,
and these cells secrete a complex _fatty_ substance, called
_lecithin_, whose dominant element is phosphorus. This phosphorus has
to be supplied to the body with food, and as food, and it cannot be
properly utilised or assimilated by the body or used by the nerves to
build up their _lecithin_ unless it is eaten in the form of organic
compounds.
The tissues of the body are continually dying, as a result of work
done, and are continually being replaced by fresh young tissues as
needed. It is the function of the nerves to manage this work for us as
well as to similarly arrange for reproduction.
In order to control the functions of the various organs and tissues
and to regulate the rate at which they reproduce themselves, the
nerves extend their terminal branches, not only into every tissue, but
into every microscopical unit of such tissue, and the part of the cell
which represents the nerve terminal is the inner structure called the
nucleus.
Now it will be obvious that the more the two nervous systems are
worked the greater will be their depletion of _lecithin_ and the more
need there will be for fresh supplies of phosphorus in the daily food
rations.
The person who works hard, whether it be manual labour or brain work,
needs food and rest at intervals in order that the nerves may
recuperate and replenish their stocks of _lecithin_.
A goodly proportion of uncooked foods rich in phosphorus must be
supplied to make good the wear and tear, and the digestion must
equally be efficient if these food-stuffs are to become assimilated.
Cooking of food to a large extent breaks down the organic phosphorus
salts and makes them inorganic. In this state they are of but little
use to the body. Poor digestion associated with putrefactive
fermentation equally converts the organic salts into inorganic ones.
These pass into the blood and are promptly eliminated by the kidneys
as waste (_phosphaturia_) and thus they never reach the nerves at all.
We must remember that phosphorus is usually found in natural foods
bound up with the proteid and especially with that proteid which has
to do with the reproduction of the species. For this reason man
instinctively resorts to the use of egg-yolks, and to the various
seeds (such as nuts, wheat, barley, etc.) because of their rich
phosphorus content.
These proteid-bound phosphorus salts can only be properly utilised
when the hydrochloric acid of the stomach juice is well formed, for it
converts them into acid salts which are readily absorbed. Therefore to
ensure free absorption we must always remember to give the
phosphorus-containing foods with such meals as will cause free
secretion of the gastric acid.
When fermentation is active and the stomach juices are weakened the
germs of the intestines rapidly break up the phosphorus constituents
of the proteids and make them inorganic. Therefore the first thing to
do when a person is found to be suffering from _phosphaturia_ is to
stop the intestinal fermentation by a right diet, clear the bowels of
their accumulated waste poisons and give the nerves plenty of rest.
Another consideration to bear in mind is that the nerves need fat
wherewith to build up the _lecithin_. An excessive fermentative
sourness of the stomach makes the food so acid when sent into the
bowels that the bile, pancreatic and other intestinal juices cannot
neutralise them, and so the fats themselves are not emulsified and
digested, which fully accounts for the mental depression and debility
of which these patients complain.
People who are suffering from "nerves" in any form need plenty of pure
fat (fresh dairy butter, cream, nut butter, fruit-oils, etc.) and an
abundance of natural fresh vegetable products at once rich in
phosphorus and iron and in organic alkaline acid-neutralising earthy
salts. These arrest fermentation and so enable the phosphorus and the
fat to become duly assimilated.
CANARY _VERSUS_ JAMAICA BANANAS.
R.B., Lincoln, would like to know if there is very much
difference, as regards food value, between the Jamaica and Canary
banana. "I have heard it said that the Jamaica is only fit for
the dust-heap. Well, I cannot very easily think it is so useless,
and at the same time I have an idea that the Canary is the better
of the two. I should be very pleased to know if you think there
is much difference between them."
The difference between Jamaica and Canary bananas is due to the length
of time necessary for them to reach us from their place of growth. It
takes, I believe, nearly twice as long for a ship to travel from
Jamaica as from the Canary Islands. Hence the fruit imported from the
latter place can be picked in a much riper condition than would be the
case with the Jamaica article. This probably accounts for the better
quality and flavour of the Canary banana. Besides this the climate may
have some determining influence. To say that the Jamaica bananas
should be discarded because they are of a less satisfactory food value
or because their flavour is less developed is uncalled for. The
disparity in price is also very marked, so that the poor can readily
procure the Jamaica banana where they would not be in a position to
afford the better class of fruit coming from the Canaries. I have
discussed this subject in p.34 of my book, _The Truth about Sugar_.
H. VALENTINE KNAGGS.
CORRESPONDENCE.
LEYTONSTONE
_To the Editors._
SIRS,
Enclosed please find P.O. for a copy of _The Healthy Life_ to be
sent to Carnegie Public Library, close to Midland Station,
Leytonstone, also to The Alexandra Holiday Home, Y.W.C.A.,
Alexandra Road, Southend-on-Sea. At the latter home there are
something like 500 to 600 visitors every year, many of whom are
semi-invalids. No doubt the magazine will be scorned by many, yet
I am quite certain that there are others amongst the number there
who will gladly welcome the truths it teaches, and if only one or
two are helped to live a more healthy and therefore more happy
life, it will be quite worth while. Please do not mention my name
in either case. Yours, etc., X.
There is every reason why _The Healthy Life_ should be known and
read in every public library in the United Kingdom. In this we
are entirely dependent upon those readers who are ready to follow
the excellent example of the above correspondent. A year's
subscription--2s.--is a very small price to pay for bringing the
message of this magazine before the public in this way. We should
like to hear from readers in all parts.--[EDS.]
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| #Back Numbers# |
| |
| If readers who possess copies of the first number of _The |
| Healthy Life_ (August 1911) will send them to the Editors, |
| they will receive, in exchange, booklets to the value of |
| threepence for each copy. |
| |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
THE
HEALTHY
LIFE
The Independent
Health Magazine.
3 AMEN CORNER LONDON E.C.
VOL. V NOVEMBER
No. 28. 1913
_There will come a day when physiologists, poets, and
philosophers will all speak the same language and understand one
another._--CLAUDE BERNARD.
AN INDICATION.
It was the slave-woman who laid her child under a bush that she might
spare herself the pain of seeing it die!
One of the commonest sources of mental and moral confusion is to
mistake the egotistic shrinking from the sight of suffering with the
altruistic shrinking from causing it and desire to relieve it.
The so-called sensitive person is too often only sensitive to his or
her own pain and, therefore, finds it difficult in the presence of
another's suffering to do what is needed to relieve it.
The healer, the health-bringer, the truly sympathetic person, does not
even hesitate to inflict pain when to do so means to restore
health.--[EDS.]
CASTLES IN THE AIR.
_Regular readers will recognise in this wonderfully simple and
suggestive article a continuation of the series previously entitled
"Healthy Brains." The author of "The Children All Day Long" is an
intimate disciple of one of the greatest living psychologists, and she
has a message of the first importance to all who realise that true
health depends as much on poise of mind as on physical fitness._--[EDS.]
Of all the occupations which imagination gives us, surely none is more
popular or more delightful than the planning out of future days.
Pleasure and fame and honour, work and rest, comfort and adventure:
all things take their turn in our romances.
Not all the castles are for ourselves alone. In childhood it is our
school, our club, our town that is to be the centre of great events.
The young man's castle is a nest to which he hopes to bring a mate.
The mother sees the future coronet or laurel-wreath round the soft
hair of her baby's head. And we all build castles for the world
sometimes--at least for our own country or our own race. Sometimes we
knock them down and rebuild again in rather different shape--Mr Wells
has taught us what a fascinating game it is.
Sometimes, especially perhaps in little, unimportant things, our
imagination does centre chiefly around our own activities. What we
mean to do, what we might do, what we would like to do: there must be
something else besides selfishness and waste of time in the constantly
recurring thoughts.
Who does not know the charm of looking down the theatre-list of the
morning paper? One may be too busy or two poor to go often to the
play, but the very suggestion of all the colour and interest is
pleasant. Who does not like looking over prospectuses of lectures and
classes at the beginning of the winter session? "I _should_ like to go
to that course on Greek Art. Oh, it is on Mondays, then that is no
good. German, elementary and conversation. How useful that would be!
Gymnasium and physical culture; how I wish I had another evening in
the week to spare!"
Railway books, again, and guides and travel bills--how delightful they
are! It is easy to plan out tours for one's holidays up to the age of
100. "Brittany; oh yes, I must go there one day. And Norway, that must
really be my next trip." The Rockies, the cities of the East, coral
islands of the Pacific--they all seem to enrich our lives by the very
thought of their possibilities.