Vegetarianism

VEGETARIANISM, a comparatively modern word, which came into use about the year 1847, as applied to the practice of living upon foods from which fish, flesh and fowl are excluded. There have from time to time been various sects or schools of thought that have advocated narrower views. Some of these have excluded all animal products — such as milk and eggs and cheese. Some have excluded all cooked foods, and have preached the virtues of fruits and nuts and grains in their natural ripe state. Some have abstained from all underground-grown roots and tubers, and have claimed special benefits from using only those fruits and vegetables that are grown in the sunlight. Some have given up all grain and pulse foods, and have declared that old age can be best resisted by living entirely upon fruits, salads, nuts, soft water and milk products. Some have added fish to their dietary; but, speaking generally, all who are called vegetarians will be found to abstain from the use of flesh and fowl and almost invariably also from fish as food.

The fact, however, must not be overlooked that while vegetarian societies claim as " vegetarians " all who abstain from flesh* foods, there is a large and growing number of people who repudiate the name of " vegetarian " because of its associations, but who none the less, for some of the reasons detailed below, abstain from eating anything that has been killed. The Order of the Golden Age, for example, with its headquarters at Barcombe Hall, Paignton, South Devon, adopted the words " Fruitarian ". and " Fruitarianism " to denote the dietary of its members. The rule laid down by the Order is abstinence so far as possible from all foods which are obtained by the cruel infliction of pain, and the minimum that is set is complete " abstinence from flesh and fowl," while net-caught fish may be used by associate members.