individuals, who were so kind
as to forward to him a statement of the effects of vegetable
diet on their own persons, in reply to some specific inquiries
inserted in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal of March
11, 1835, and in the Philadelphia Journal of the same year.
Although many months elapsed before the answers were all
received, yet the writer is fully aware that these
communications ought to have been published before this. His
apology is a prolonged state of ill health, which has now
become so serious as to threaten to drive him to a southern
climate for the winter. In this exigency, he has solicited Dr.
W. A. Alcott, of Boston, to receive the papers and give them to
the public as soon as his numerous engagements will permit.
This arrangement will doubtless be fully satisfactory, both to
the writers of the communications and to the public.

"HARTFORD, November 4, 1836."

Various circumstances, beyond my control, united to defer the
publication of the contemplated work to the year 1838. It is hoped,
however, that nothing was lost by delay. It gave further opportunity for
reflection, as well as for observation and experiment; and if the work
is of any value at all to the community, it owes much of that value to
the fact that what the public may be disposed to regard as unnecessary,
afforded another year for investigation. Not that any new discoveries
were made in that time, but I was, at least, enabled to verify and
confirm my former conclusions, and to review, more carefully than ever,
the whole argument. It is hoped that the work will at least serve as a
pioneer to a more extensive as well as more scientific volume, by some
individual who is better able to do the subject justice.

It will be my object to present the facts and arguments of the following
volume, not in a distorted or one-sided manner, but according to truth.
I have no private interests to subserve, which would lead me to
suppress, or falsely color, or exaggerate. If vegetable food is not
preferable to animal, I certainly do not wish to have it so regarded.
This profession of a sincere desire to know and teach the truth may be
an apology for placing the letters in the order in which they
appear--which certainly is such as to give no unfair advantages to those
who believe in the superiority of the vegetable system--and for the
faithfulness with which their whole c