The recipe for prolonging our days, delaying old age, and insuring health is given by Dr W. Kinnear in "The Humanitarian."
The chief characteristics of old age have been shown by anatomical experiment and investigation to be the deposits of earthy matter of a gelatinous, fibrinous character in the human system. Carbonate and phosphate of lime, mixed with other salts of a calcareous nature, have been found to furnish the greater part of these earthy deposits, which, of course, affecting all the physical organs, naturally interfere with their functions. Entire blockage of the functions of the body is a mere matter of time; the refuse matter deposited by the blood in its constant passage through the system stops the delicate and exquisite machinery which we call life. This is death.
It has been proved by analysis that human blood contains compounds of lime, magnesia, and iron. In the blood itself are thus contained the earth salts. In every life they are thrown off. Age has not the power to do it. Hence, as blood is produced by assimilation of the food we eat, to this food we must look for the earthy accumulations which in time block up the system and bring on old age.
Careful selection of food can, Dr Kinnear tells us, enable us to avoid the worst of the elements for destroying life. Bread itself the staff of life, greatly assists in the disposition of calcareous matter in our bodies, and beef and old mutton should be avoided, as they are unusually over-charged with salts.
Fruits, fish, poultry, young mutton, and veal are best for people entering the vale of years, and the use of distilled water and diluted phosphoric acid is also recommended by Dr Kinnear, who sums up with this advice: -- "Avoid foods rich in the earth soils, use much fruit, especially juicy, uncooked apples, and take daily two or three tumblerfu's of distilled water with about 10 to 15 drops of diluted phosphoric acid in each glassful."
