DO YOU SMOKE ?

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 530, 25 March 1908, Page 4

DO YOU SMOKE ?

ALSO, WHAT DO YOU EAT AND DRINK? ANSWERS SUPPLIED BY GREAT MEN. (Our Own Correspondent.) February 11. Tho current number of tho Review of Reviews is specially interesting by reason of its discussion of the above subjects _hy well-known men, nearly all of great age and honours. They set down a few jottings as to what long life has taught them as to the best regimen to follow as to food and drink and tobacco. And these veteran experts, particularly in tho matter of the pipe, aro by no means in agreement. Place of honour is given to Sir Theodore Martin, tho historian, born in 1816. Space does not allow mo to givo many of the "jottings," ( but several of thoso by the best known men will not bo amiss, Thus Sir Theodore Martin: "From my youth onward 1 havo followed one rule as to what to eat — so that it was good— fish, flesh or fowl. I always ato sparingly, and required that it should be cooked carefully, but plainly. Rich •dressing, or tho garniture of appe-. tising sauces, 1 avoided. First, because I did not like them, and next, becauso they disagreed with me. Simpiioity and moderation were my rule. 1 never cared for wines or spirits, and drank little of either, always mixing my wino with a largo proportion of water. After middle age, I began to care less and less for wine, and tor the last twenty years a glass of port wine, largely tempered with water, satisfies all my wants. A cup of coffee 1 have always found tho best restorative from brain exhaustion. Of smoking I have all my life had an extreme dislike, and get out of tho way of it wlienever I can. If forced to inhale it, for even a few minutes, by being in the company of smokers, it acts upon mo like a poison, lowering the action of tho heart, and giving mo a nervous hoadacho that lasts for hours." Dr. Alfred Russell Wallace, in tlie 86th year of active life: "For the first seventy years of my lifo I ate everything and anything that I Jikod —and I liked too much pastry, muffins, and such like, as well as potatoes, bacon, etc. I had a strong digestion, but when about 00 could not assimilate this, so a little later 1 had to givo np all starch foods, iand have since lived chiefly on one good meal of well cooked meat a day, whereby 1 have lost a chroma asthma and other allied troubles. I drank beer and wine • in moderation in early life, but about twenty-five years ago, gave it up altoI gether, and havo been better without it. From experience and observation I feel sure that towards old age, alcoihol become moro and more harmful. Smoking, I never practised since early youth, when its effects literally sickened me of it! I believe that towards old age, the minimum of carefully selected food, that can be thoroughly assimilated, is tho best. Each person must find out what is best for himself. Tei and coffo I tako regularly, but without food. I work best morning and evening after a cup of tea. Sir William Hugging: A very moderate amount of meat once a day, Avith a larger proportion of good j bread ami farinaceous food, and about one pint of milk. Fruit when in sea- ! son and fresh vegetables. Coffee and j milk at breakfast, weak China tea 'n 1 tho afternoon. At other times, water ' only. No tobacco of any kind." I Fiold-Marshal Lord Roberts says: i "Little or no smoking, amd modera- , tion in food and drink. ' ! Mr W. M. Rossetti, in his 78th year, with health "more than commonly good." : "I began smoking towards tho ago of eighteen, cigars at first, but afterwards gradually inclining to pipes. This change came about at the age of twenty-three, sinco then 1 have continued smoking more and more, and now smoke tho whole day with casual intervals, beginning before breakfast, and continuing until I am in bed. I never smoke cigarettes unless by chance. in a friend's company. I don't know that my constant smoking lias done me any harm, unless possibly it may be one of the causes why my digestion is somewhat uncertain. 1 am not, however, in any senso a regular dyspeptic." Professor Crookes, a septuagenarian scientist: "I ; havo always eaten and enjoyed the good things of the table in moderation, and havo taken wine and smoked as I liked, without noticing any particular dreadful consequences. I have had excellent health a., my life." Mr George Bernard Shaw says: "To ask by experience of smoking is to insult me. Why should you accuso me of so filthy a habit without any evidence that I havo been guilty of itr" Sir John Gorst, well known to New Zealanders, says: Eating with moderation, pure water to drink, and total abstinence in regar clto smoking. Sir Charles Santley, on the other hand, saya anything drinkable, ex- j cepfc spirits and except water, in moderation. For food, anything eatable | that does not disagree. And &o to smoking, amything smokable, pipo preferred, in moderation. / 1 ' And, after wo havo all carefullyread, marked, and learned tho experiences and statements of xpien of all ages, habits, and manners, wo avo < bound to come to tho conclusion, as 1 all must do, that tho best is w.h.it « suits us best, and this can only be dis- 1 sovered by personal trials; tho ono . I ;olden rule being, perhaps, everything 1 II moderation, especially alcohol and 1 smoking, and if they can bo conveni- i mtly omitted altogether, so much tho i setter. ■ i _™s____!!!ssssa_! j t