406
Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods
as an article of food, and American people have used pork freely as
an important article of diet. Swine’s flesh would not be palatable to
the taste in its natural state. It is made agreeable to the appetite by
highly seasoning, which makes a very bad thing worse. Swine’s flesh,
above all other flesh-meats, produces a bad state of the blood. Those
who eat freely of pork can but be diseased. Those who have much
outdoor exercise do not realize the bad effects of pork eating as those
do whose life is mostly indoors, and whose habits are sedentary, and
whose labor is mental.
But it is not the physical health alone which is injured by pork-
eating. The mind is affected, and the finer sensibilities are blunted by
the use of this gross article of food. It is impossible for the flesh of any
living creature to be healthy when filth is their natural element, and
when they will feed upon every detestable thing. The flesh of swine
is composed of what they eat. If human beings eat their flesh, their
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blood and their flesh will be corrupted by impurities conveyed to them
through the swine.
The Facts of Faith 2:146-148
In order to preserve health, temperance in all things is necessary.
Temperance in labor, temperance in eating and drinking. Because of
intemperance a great amount of misery has been brought upon the
human family. The eating of pork has produced scrofula, leprosy
and cancerous humors. Pork-eating is still causing the most intense
suffering to the human race. Depraved appetites crave those things
which are the most injurious to health. The curse, which has rested
heavily upon the earth, and has been felt by the whole race of mankind,
has also been felt by the animals. The beasts have degenerated in size
and length of years. They have been made to suffer more than they
otherwise would by the wrong habits of man.
There are but a few animals that are free from disease. They
have been made to suffer greatly for the want of light, pure air, and
wholesome food. When they are fattened, they are confined in close
stables, and are not permitted to exercise, and to have free circulation
of air. Many poor animals are left to breathe the poison of filth which
is left in barns and stables. Their lungs will not long remain healthy
while inhaling such impurities. Disease is conveyed to the liver, and the