INTRODUCTION.

The earth moves, and man, its little masterpiece, is growing apace. After spending ages in scanning stars and flowers, and mountains and trees—after vain effort to find truth in the objects about—man has discovered himself. He has come into his own, the kingdom of self-knowledge, self-control and self-development. In the early times he was a blind instrument in the hands of the Great Father. Blindly he worked and rested, and slept. Blindly he procreated. Blindly he ate what came to his hand, asking only physical gratification.

But now—the earth moves, and man has graduated from the dull life of the flesh, and has entered into his kingdom. He has great, shining dreams of what he would be and know and do. He would work harder, think deeper, aspire higher than his forefathers. He demands of himself tasks of which they did not dream. To fulfil these demands he must have greater strength, endurance, nervous vitality. He must increase his powers. To increase his powers he must know how to work, how to rest, how to feed his body—to feed his body so that it may be strong instead of weak, alive instead of dying.

Of all the problems of practical life the question of feeding is the most important. Not only the individual but the race suffers from errors of diet. Many solutions have been proffered. Some of these are better than the conventional diet; others worse. Of the plans of diet that have been expounded for the betterment of man there is one that seems to be ideal—that fulfils every requirement, physiologic, sensuous, domestic and esthetic. This plan of diet provides a food that maintains the body and mind in the highest health and vigor, that is gratifying and enticing to the palate, that needs practically no preparation and that, by its appearance and its associations, appeals most strongly to the imagination. Having said so much it is needless to add that the plan referred to is the “Uncooked Food,” sometimes called the “Elementary Food” plan.

The picturesque features of the new diet (that is to say the oldest of all diets readopted)—the beauty, the economy and the splendid feeding properties of the new diet have made for it, within the last few years, thousands of advocates among the most intelligent and advanced classes of people. Those people have at times felt keenly the need of some reliable advice as to the preparation and service of these beautiful foods. In my capacity as editor of Health-Culture, a journal of wide circulation, I have received many such letters. To none of the writers have I been able to give the full and satisfactory information desired.

It has been said by some confiding soul that for every issue needing a man of certain powers the man is somehow provided. In one instance this has been doubly fulfilled. The issue was need of information on a very important subject—diet. And to meet this issue—to give information on this important subject—there came not only a man, but a man and a woman. Besides his many other qualifications, Eugene Christian is to-day recognized as an expert on the question of food and diet. Mrs. Mollie Griswold Christian has studied the subject from every standpoint; and her practical experience as a dietary expert has given to this brilliant young woman a knowledge of all phases of the diet question. The information provided by these two students of the art of living is plain, practical and authoritative. It opens the door to a new world. For with the great English pathologist, Alexander Haig, M.D., V.R.C.P., etc., of London. I firmly believe that “in diet lies the key to nine-tenths of those social and political problems that vex our age and time.”

The “present scribe” fully agrees with the eminent authority quoted. I believe that the greatest advance in solving these problems will be made through reform diet. And that, up to the present, the best solution of these problems, I believe, is found in the use of the uncooked foods.

W. R. C. Latson, M. D.