Page:Henry Stephens Salt - A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays.pdf/51

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to be most desirable, if not absolutely necessary, for good health.

How are we Vegetarians to explain this fact? The influence of medical men, both on public and private opinion, is unquestionably very great, and at present nearly the whole weight of this influence is thrown into the scale against us. What answer are we to make to the question, so often asked—"Why are so few doctors Vegetarians ?”

Some Food Reformers do not scruple to impute dishonest motives to the medical profession, and hint that doctors disparage Food Reform because they would find their occupation gone or greatly limited, if a more natural and simple diet-system were generally adopted. Such imputation seems to me to be singularly unfortunate, being not only foolish in itself (for the introduction of Vegetarianism, being necessarily very gradual, would injure no class interests whatever), but also most damaging to the cause of Food Reform, which can ill afford to substitute insinuation for argument. We ought rather candidly to admit that the opinion of medical men is hostile to Food Reform, and to attempt to D