"But that would still be quite insufficient progress. No honest man
can eat animal flesh without disgust, and people cannot call
themselves refined as long as they keep slaughter-houses and
butchers' shops in their towns. But the day will come when we shall
know exactly the nourishing elements contained in animal carcasses,
and it will become possible to extract those very same elements from
bodies without life, and which will furnish an abundance of them.
Those bodies without life contain, as a fact, all that is to be
found in living beings, because the animal has been built up by the
vegetable, which has itself drawn the substance out of the inert
ground.

"Then people will feed on extracts of metal and mineral conveniently
treated by physicians. I have no doubt but that the taste of them
will be exquisite and the absorption salutary. Cookery will be done
in retorts and stills and alchemists will be our cooks. Are you not
impatient, gentlemen, to see such marvels? I promise them to you at
a very near time. But you are not able at present to unravel the
excellent effects that they will produce."

"In truth, sir, I do not unravel them," said my kind tutor, and had
a long draught of wine.

"If such is the case," said M. d'Asterac, "listen to me for a
moment. No more burdened with slow digestions, mankind will become
marvellously active, their sight will become singularly piercing,
and they will see the ships gliding on the seas of the moon. Their
understanding will be clearer, their ways softer. They will greatly
advance in their knowledge of God and nature.