Meat is the most common of the tissue building foods; however, it is not essential to life, or even a desirable nutriment It is not the kind of food that will maintain the normal strength for many years or aid in accumulating vitality to prolong the term of human life. In fact, it has long been known that the excessive use of meat, especially that in which every cell is dead, or devitalized, by long cooking, is one of the causes of the "old-age disease." It clogs and overworks the digestive organs to digest it, besides introducing into the system various poisons and leaving sediment or ash that settles in the arteries and around the joints, producing the stiffness and inaction of old age.

The living cells of meat are quickly appropriated by the human organism, thus seem to be a serviceable food, but as they are already fully developed, and many of them near the close of their natural cycle, they are not as enduring or as long lived as those of the vegetable kingdom. In addition to the inherent weakness of the cells that are appropriated, a great number of the cells in every piece of meat have already been used and are ready to be cast off as waste. Some of these escape in the blood, but many of them enter the human system. The struggle and stress of death, especially under fear and cruelty, as in a long chase, exhaust numerous cells and generate poison from overheating the blood. All the cells are thus impressed with horror and death, instead of with freshness and youth, as is essential for longevity or even health.

Because of the unstable condition of flesh food it should not be depended upon by those who aspire to cultivate strength and long life.

Meat is quite generally thought to be a "strong" food, while in reality it is a "weak" food.

In regard to meat as a food and its poisons, Dr. Latson, Editor of Health Culture, says:

"While it is a fact that the flesh of the animal contains certain food elements, proteids, fats and salts, it also contains various waste and poisonous substances produced in the animal's body. These substances include various ptomaines, leukomaines, and xanthins, creating uric acid and other excre-mentitious products.

"Like other animals, man himself generates these poisonous matters; and like other animals, he is provided with organs of depuration for their removal. But when, in addition to the poisons made by his own body, he takes in the excreta and poisonous waste matters of another animal, he is subjecting his organism to an unnatural and dangerous strain. The excrementitious matter taken into his system necessitates an immensely increased work on the part of his own eliminating organs - skin, lungs, bowels and kidneys. Often these excretory organs are unable to carry off their double load. The matter then accumulates in the system, producing acute and chronic disease. In an acute disease, "colds" or other fever, bilious attacks, sick headache or diarrhoea, the matter is expelled through a spasmodic effort on the entire organism. Or the poisonous matter eaten as food and not excreted may be retained indefinitely, causing various chronic diseases. A diet containing an excess of flesh meat produces congestion and enlargement of the liver and the so-called arthritic or gouty diathesis. The presence of an excess of uric acid, creatin or other excrementitious substances is now known to be the immediate cause of many painful and dangerous diseases.

"So far from being a 'strong' food, flesh meat is, strictly speaking, not a food, but a nutro-stimulent. The meat of the animal contains food and poisons. The food we can use. The poisons we must excrete, and in the effort to get rid of these irritating poisons the organism is thrown into a state of excitation, which is mistaken for strength. As a matter of fact, it is like the 'strength' that comes from alcohol. It may be mentioned that meat taken in excess by one unaccustomed to its use will produce effects similar to those of alcohol and other toxic drugs. Among these effects may be mentioned excitation, palpitation, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and coma.

"It is a demonstrable fact that the heart of the habitual meat eater beats from 72 to 80 a minutes, while that of a person living on a pure diet of fruit, nuts and fresh green vegetables will beat at least ten less a minute. Fifteen hundred extra heart strokes every twenty-four hours makes a very appreciable strain upon the vital force.

"The strongest argument against the use of flesh meat is that to eat the animal's flesh is to eat the animal's excreta, which is inseparable from it"

In verification of this idea Dr. Guilfoy, of the health department, says in the Medical Record that the meat eating nations have the highest rate of mortality from cancer, heart disease, and Bright's disease.

Numerous authorities might be given to show that meat and other stimulents used as food are responsible for the cell deterioration so early in life. A little of the deadly poisons like strychnine may be taken for years without causing immediate death of the individual, but cell death is increased, the natural action gradually paralyzed, and cell reproduction hindered, hence the inevitable is slow death, which is even worse torture than sudden death. The same is true of the action of the poison in meat, alcohol, condiments and other substances found in daily use. It is the aim of this work to separate the "gold from the dross" and show that the food intended to sustain life is more desirable from every standpoint than that which is injurious, and that there is no element of sacrifice in avoiding things which impair and shorten life, as well as lower the standard of morality.

Besides the danger of the animal's excreta in meat many kinds of disease are found among animals. Tuberculosis is one of the most common diseases that may be transferred to the human system from the use of meat and impure milk. Canned meat is very liable to be made from the meat of discarded animals. It frequently causes violent sickness and death. Notwithstanding the laws passed to protect the public from diseased meat, ways will be found to violate them as long as the desire for "gain" is greater than the desire to protect human life.