Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1916 — HURTY EXPLAINS ABOUT HORSE MEAT [ARTICLE]

HURTY EXPLAINS ABOUT HORSE MEAT

Attention Called to Paragraph In Republican Brings This Treatise Of Eqiyne Steak. The Republican recently published a brief comment on the law in New York legalizing the sale .of horse meat for food purposes and jocosely said that “Doc” Hurty’s approval of horse meat as a diet had not removed all of our prejudices. The article was republished in The Fowler Tribune and the attention of Dr. J. N. Hurty, the secretary of the state bpard of health, was called to it. He writes to The Republican as follows: Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. *ll, 1916. Editor Republican, i- Rensselaer, Ind. Dear Sir: I enclose a clipping from the Fowler Tribune which was copied from your paper, and in regard to the same, wish to say that the most efficient nation on earth, the Germans, do not hesitate to eat horse and mule meat. You know that sausage has been called “the flower of Germany.” In some parts of Germany among the poor peasants, there is no hesitation at all about eating the meat of dead animals. By this is meant the flesh of animals which have died. Animals dead of exhaustion or perhaps simply old age supply meat which does not cause disease or disturb digestion but which is nourishing. Sometimes when a horse dies these poor peasants hold a barbecue, call their neighbors in and have, a “big roast.” Horse meat has been used in France for many years and it is found as nourishing and as wholesome as the meat of beef cattle and it sells at a price very little lower than b dkw* It is generally rendered up in meat stews and sausage. The French and the German people are not uncivilized. Indeed they farm more efficiently and more practical than we Americans. The German and French nations have both furnished a long line of scientific discoverers and we Americans are yet to furnish a great man in this line. The. Ger.man and French nations have also supplied to the world major philosophers and artists but America has not yet supplied one major artist or major philosopher. These facts are mentioned simply to throw light upon a subject which is of intense interest to us Americans and to make plain that all progress is through original scientific discovery. While, invention is, of course, of the greatest value, and invention is a great characteristic of American people, still invention has for its foundation scientific discovery and we never could invent if we depended upon our own scientific discoveries as we have To far not made any of major character. America has yet to produce a great musician like Wagner, or a great philosopher like Descarte or a man of mighty scientific discovery like Pasteur. This is not a defense of the consumption of meat from animals which have died, for I do not believe in eating such meat, but the • facts are interesting and furnish a basis for reflection. In regard to eating meat I would much meat. We eat too much embalmed meat. If we would eat less meat we would be healthier, more efficient and consequently healthier and happier. The excessive eating of meat is set down as an abomination by Solomon, who said: “Be ye not among wine bibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.” We might add to this: “for such are an abomination unto the Lord.” It is true that children must be taught ’to eat meat. Surely they do not take to it kindly and having felt its stimulating effect and acquired a taste for it, then they very frequently ■ demand meat all the time. Metchnikoff, the successor of Pasteur in the famous Pasteur laboratory at Paris, says: “If we would only return to the simple -nutrition upon which the- patriarchs of the Bible flourished, we would live longer, have greater strength and more happiness.” The advice of physiology and of hygiene to the people is: Eat less meat and eat more fruits, vegetables and cereals. Very respectfully yours, J. N. HURTY, Secretary v .- - rr —r s : *--W~