provided he be guilty of no cruelty, nor cause unnecessary pain to the animal that he sacrifices to supply his wants; but if upon further inquiry it should appear, that the life of man can be preserved, his health and strength maintained, his pleasure and happiness continued or rendered more pure and satisfactory, and the period of his mortal existence unabbreviated or prolonged, by a diet of which the flesh of animals forms no part, then would neither wisdom nor benevolence sanction the horrid cruelties that are daily perpetrated, in order to pamper the perverted appetites of man." As the subject appeared to me one of great interest, I determined to investigate it as fully as my time, talents, and opportunities would permit; and resolved to adopt practically whatsoever should appear to be the plain dictates of nature. Suffice it to say, that after carefully consulting the writings of Moses, Traditionary Records, Comparative Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, General History, and Private Experience, I arrived at the firm conviction, that the flesh of animals is not only unnecessary, but decidedly prejudical to man's health and wellbeing. I therefore at once discontinued it, as an article of diet; and, notwithstanding the expressed fears and remonstrances of my friends, I persevered; and was soon rewarded with better health and more real enjoyment, than I had experienced during many previous years. Having derived incalculable advantages from a strict adherence to a fruit and farinaceous diet, and being fully satisfied (after a long and patient investigation of evidence) that it is a food well adapted to all constitutions, in all climates fit for the residence of man, I can no longer resist the importunity of my friends to make known to the public the result of my inquiries. Throughout the whole of these investigations I have preferred expressing my sentiments in the language of such authors as are well known to the public by their talents and scientific pursuits, rather than in words of my own; and this must be my excuse to the reader for the many disconnected sentences and sudden transitions he will meet with in the work. On a careful perusal of the whole, I find much to be dissatisfied with ;-arising, in a great measure, from the many interruptions that have occurred during its composition; and I would gladly have re-written it, had circumstances permitted: but my avocations are such as to forbid the attempt. I therefore solicit the indulgence of the public towards its faults and imperfections. For much valuable information on the points I have discussed, I am considerably indebted to the works of Drs. Lambe, Grant, Carpenter, Southwood Smith, Prout, Bird, Roget, and Müller; Professors Liebig, Lawrence, and Mülder; Baron Cuvier, Mr. J. F. Newton, and many others; but especially to the "Lectures on the Science of Human Life", by Mr. Sylvester Graham of North America; which work I would earnestly recommend to thre notice of all who feel an interest in the subject. ERRATA. The Reader is requested to correct the following Errata which have occurred while the sheets were passing through the press. 319, Foot Note, for Graham's Lectures, &c., read Lectures. P. 186. 339, line 20, for Turgooses, read Tungooses. |