Diet and Disease.
At a meeting of the Royal Archseolbgfcal Institute, Sir Henry Howortk gave soteo -mterecting facte with regard to the dreacE disease^ of leprosy, now happily- extiact in Hngla»d. He showed that wherever there was a community which , lived habitually on fish all tihe year round, apd where very often transit was difficult or the place far inland, and the fish liable to be stale, there leprosy was found. The " religious ' life of. the people in the Middle Ages often' rendered the eating of* fish necessary . during the long fasts, and £he fish w*s often, etaje, engendering the danger of- the dire> disease* Bui witjh the introduction of certain Yeae" taMes, fqr food, 'eproay began to diminfsb, until n6w' it has ceased 'tp ejdst. He^alw referred to the sister disease; known- t.s -flourvy, which 1 was.- prevalent at tbe tuae when cattle could not be fed in the ooldi season, and were therefore killed and salted to be used a» meat aH the' winter-. IJnt with" th» introduction of the «wede turnip as a food fct the cattle, and fresh meat so obtainable, scurvy diraini»hed. And a» soon as tbe potato became common and more vegetable food <*>uld be taken, scurvy dropped Scurvy still exfßie, though only, through what Americans would call -"pnre cusseduess." A friend of hi« once attended" a ohilil aged' four months which was nuttering from neurvv. When hi* friend was informed the child was fed with corned beef, his friend was horrified* and told the mother ft wa« as near murder as anrthMJC to feed so yonag a child on corned beef* "Well." said the mother, innurprisnd tonef* "the little beggar won't eat^pork.
— The poor we have assays with ,u«— especially ppor j^excuae». f
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 76
Word Count
290Diet and Disease. Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 76
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