the eating of flesh would receive a great impetus on the discovery of the
art of cooking. Flesh can only be eaten with relish and with safety when
cooked. Such a large proportion of it is infected with parasites, or is
otherwise diseased, that it would he dangerous to eat it raw, even were it
palatable in such a state. In those countries where man eats flesh in a
raw or semi-cooked form, parasitic diseases are common. There is not the
least doubt that our habit of eating so much cooked food is responsible
for much over-eating, hasty eating, dyspepsia and illness. In regard to
the making of bread, porridge, and many other comparatively simple
prepared foods, the advantages of cooking seem overwhelmingly great. With
our present imperfect knowledge and conflicting opinions, it is
impossible to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion, and the whole
question requires careful and impartial investigation. Experiments have
been made with animals, chiefly pigs, with cooked and uncooked clover,
hay, corn, meal, etc. (U.S. Department of Agriculture). It was found that
the food was more or less diminished in digestibility by cooking. At least
13 separate series of experiments with pigs in different part of the
country have been reported. In 10 of these trials there has been a
positive loss from cooking the food. The amount of food required to
produce in the animal a pound gain in weight was larger when the food had
been cooked than when it was given raw. In some cases, the increased
quantity of food required after cooking was considerable.

Those who live on uncooked food contend that a smaller quantity of
nourishment is required. As uncooked food requires more mastication and is
eaten more slowly, there is a better flow of saliva and time is given for
the digestive organs to be gradually brought into complete action, and
finally for the appeasing of the appetite. In the case of the members of
the fruitarian family, whose food was uncooked, and of whom we have
previously written, the quantity of nutriment taken was much less than