Page:Henry Stephens Salt - A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays.pdf/68

Rh that flesh-food may at times be “desirable, and even essential to life,” be nowhere gives any clear indication of when this necessity may arise. But now come in other aspects of the case which are wholly ignored by Sir Henry Thompson in his purely professional treatment of it. He has given us an entirely medical and scientific view of this subject of diet, and the upshot of What he says is this: “Flesh-food is quite unnecessary in the large majority of cases. but you had better eat a little now and then for fear you should become sectarian and narrow-minded. and thus cause the exclusion of any of the recognised sources of food.” Cæteris paribus, this statement of the case is most unobjectionable and satisfactory ; but, unfortunately for Sir Henry Thompson’s conclusions, there are various other considerations which (however uninteresting to medical men) are of the greatest possible importance to the unprofessional mind. In the choice of our food we have not only to ask our doctors what are the latest conclusions of scientific inquiry; but we have also to consider what are the promptings of economy, humanity, and good taste. All this is naively passed over by Sir