ve the value of a
dogma to its practice.

For quite a number of people "vegetarianism" is a kind of religion,
requiring of its votaries a sort of baptism, and the sacrifice of many
pleasures. It is this which justifies the infatuation of some, and the
systematic disparagement of others.

"Vegetalism"[12] cannot pretend to play a similar part, or to lend
itself to ambiguity. To be a "vegetalist" is to choose in the
vegetable kingdom, with a justified preference, foods susceptible of
filling the energy-producing needs, and the needs of the reparation of
the human system.

"Vegetalism" is a chapter of dietetic physiology which must utilise
the precise methods and recent discoveries of the science of
nutrition.

[12] The word "Vegetarianism" implies a judgment of the qualities
which such a diet entails. This word is derived, in fact, from the
Latin adjective "Vegetus" (strong). The word "Vegetalism," which we
oppose to the preceding one, admits only the establishing of a fact,
that of the choice--exclusive or preferred--of the nutritious matters
in the vegetable kingdom.

II

Before putting "vegetalism" into practice the first point is to know
whether the foods of "vegetal" origin contain, and are susceptible of
producing regularly, the divers nutritive principles indispensable to
the organisation of an alimentary diet. The principles are the
following:--Proteid or albuminoid substances; hydrocarbonated and
sweet substances fatty substances; mineral matters, alkalis, lime,
magnesia, phosphates and chlorides, etc. In most compound foods, no
matter of what origin, mineral materials almost always exist in
sufficient quantities. The most important amongst them, at all events,
are found combined in liberal, even superabundant, portions in dishes
of vegetal origin. The analysis of the ashes of our most common table
vegetables fixes us immediately to this subject: Leguminous plants
supply from about three to six per cent. of ashes, rich in alkalis,
lime and phosphates. Potatoes, green vegetables and fruit as a whole
absorbing considerable quantities of mineral elements. These are the
elements of a nature to allow a precise reply to this question which
we propose to expound briefly.

III

In order to examine a food thoroughly, for the purpose of ascertaining
if it can be advantageously introduced for consumption, whether
albumins, fats, hydrate of carbon, or sugar, etc., or again an
association of these principles