FAITH AND FASTING [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sne,—There is a force and energy that we all dissipate un- knowingly, by continued eating under minor complaints. If we could unconditionally accept Mr. F. Yeats-Brown's terms in his article on Fasting, of thinking for ourselvei, of learning to care intelligently for and control our bodies' as trained mechanics tend their less intricate machines, what a flood of vitality would be released in the world—a vitality and clear- headedness which could be brought to bear more victoriously upon the multifarious problems of social and economic life.
And by sequence, many of those problems would solve them- selves. The children of rightly eating people would have cleaner heritage ; they would be taught from early childhood to regard the body, not as something to be gratified always ; not puritanically as dross, too sullying to the soul to be even accepted wholegomely ; but as a vehicle carrying them through the years to joys and beauties which are intensified by the strength derived from complete bodily harmony.
But this harmony can never be attained without a little self-denial. This is the difficulty ; people who are most self- sacrificing for others, seldom think their own bodies are worth troubling about.
- The old prophets in these hot lands made biological laws which are still observed, but only partially. The season of Ramadan has just ended. - During all that period, when the organs of the body are supposed to be using up aceumulated toxins, thus naturally purifying it, more food has been con- sumed than usual. The Arabs got up every morning at one,
two, or three o'clock to squeeze in another meal before the light came ; they gorged on meat, eggs, potatoes, and cakes soggy with syrup and grease, all because of the world-wide superstition that one becomes weak and faint on one meal a day, even though it is only for a specified time. The original benefits are lost, and in their place come impaired digestions. Yet even so these men seem strong. If under such abuse their bodies work for them well, how much more will it do for us under fair conditions ?
With the modern fine knowledge of surgery to apply to accidents, and people eating so that their blood-streams are pure and disease-resisting, what a foundation on which to build up a New Race ! What a fund of money could be released to endow buildings with pictures, libraries with books, cities with gardens, poor homes with comforts !
Last Sunday I terminated a week's fast. A slight headache for several days had been my signal. Why ignore it ? It was obviously trying to tell me something, for headaches are practically unknown to me. From Sunday evening until the following Sunday at noon I tasted nothing but the juice of oranges and drank copiously of cold water.
It was my first experience, and so in the nature of an experi- ment. As each day came, I expected to feel wobbly inside, dizzy on rising suddenly. Instead, energy and exuberance flowed into me ; I seemed unable to tire myself, even though I walked and exercised as usual ; the headache vanished ; my spirits rose, and though it sounds slightly fanatical, a feeling of wonderful elation came.
This is how it affected me. Of course, I had a glorious sun to bathe in every day, which may have, in fact must have, helped. By Sunday my appetite was excellent ; I looked forward all the morning to the breaking of my fast, and that doll's house meal of brown bread and butter, fruit and lettuce, was a positive and unique delight.
There may be those who misunderstand the cry for simpler tood, thinking that we who are interested in dietetics scorn epicurean joys. This is entirely wrong ; it is a legitimate, physiological necessity to love one's food, for it is in the relish of it that the right digestive juices are secreted. The point lies in learning to enjoy natural food, not food that has been falsely flavoured by condiments and pickles. The palate is " bluffed " into appetite by the piquancy of these insidious things, and one is then in danger of overeating.
I feel reborn after my fast. And now it is an immense pleasure to see the Spectator giving notice to this all-important subject. It will take a long time to come, but some day we shall realize Mr. Shaw's hopes of a maturity virile and in- telligent for a much greater length of time than is the usual
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