BEEF AND CULTURE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13706, 22 September 1908, Page 7

BEEF AND CULTURE.

At the -iiniii.i! of the 1'.0y.-.i In-MUit- of l'iil»!»- H.:ihli. :>! nuxt-.i.. Sis .I.uiirt I'mhloli lU'.«iie. j>r»M«!.iu o! I he I'r.-v. nlivc M..li.iue »r*!ion. .11l vTr-I an .iddr«-»t mi j>.iii*iii"iiy in nutrition. ;u wlin h he depm.itrd ttir i>re->« n; i.-mlcu=-y ;.» :ib«;enr.oUMi>-»\ i" «i •'! •»» •""' otT~-t !i> " i.vei ;'.-. ' « iil!«- he niler.'d .i » ,il II in,' l<> ■•ie.-<»i.i hrr.ikiliK " .ilii!'!-*. Sir .Inn « l ri.li!"li |li"»ik f»>:ii!f-! out tint |:hv«i<.;(.j:-(« nii'l ine'lii il nirn of !iij,-h .iiiihiitity .ir- j>re.v hsis,.' ti't n<«re y

simplicity <■ of diet, but a degree . of-ab-stemiousness that would " hitherto have been regarded-as'"• dangerous.-- Chronic over-feeding or. the habitual ingestion of an excessive amount of " nutriment was one of the burning questions of the hour. Tha campaign against overfeeding was all very well/ but we,need-not; substitute for it, or rashly accept, the new and startling standard? - prescribed for ns. He proceeded adversely criticise the declaration of Professor Chittenden -thatthe daily amount of proteid or albuminous food required for the maintenance of health and vigour is not more than one-half that regarded as necessary. Vitality and energy might almost, be. measured by the degree of which animal flesh entered into diet. j ■ With the departure of the old regime in Japan the prohibition against eating ffesh has been swept away, and coincident with the rapid rise of Japan amongst the nations there had been a vastly increased consumption of animal food by the best people. The Anglican Alliance was now typified by the popularity of beef steak with mustard and Worcester sauCs> (Laughter.)

It- was clear that animal food had played a decisive part in human evolution, and that the craving for it had largely contributed to the advance of civilisation. The culture of the Greeks not less than the courage of the Spartans was assuredly nourished on a diet into which animal food entered liberally. .; - The conviction that eating was one of the chief pleasures of life had led to much too close shaving in diet in the application of punitive measures. Of course prisoners must be punished, but there is plenty of punishment without inanition, and there was no reason why we should run the risk of permanently damaging our criminals whp were iii durance vile for a time. it was levelling up outside prison and not levelling down within ic that was wanted. (Hear, hear/} Economy not less than humanity and that every prisoner shall W;3placed: inbound;; hygienic conditions and sufficiently fed so that he might do some useful worok while in prison, and might not when set at liberty swell the great army of degenerates and incapables who have to be maintained out of /public funds. There was "a tendency >n these experimental days to little '-shtrts-jighted in,; pur phjsioipgical view&: . . ; -*ye:y newspaper there was testimony, to-.; the beneficial effects of strenuous -physical exercise. But how many of these athletes lived to a green old age, and how many who had undergone severe training and made records in one way or another succumb prematurely"' to „ heart "\ jfte cotM ; ;>iot gfteh>? fearing that the breaking of /records might sometimes end in the breaking of hearts. We must not confuse muscular energy with constitutional vigour. (Cheers.)