The Vegan Summer 1970 by The Vegan Society

THE VEGAN SOCIETY Founded

November,

1944

Veganism is a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom, and includes a reverence and compassion for all life. I t applies to the practice of living on the products of t h e plant kingdom to t h e exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, animal milk and its derivatives, and encourages the use of alternatives for all commodities derived wholly or in part from animals. Veganism remembers man's responsibilities to the earth and its resources and seeks to bring about a healthy soil and plant kingdom and a proper use of t h e materials of the earth. President: Deputy

Dr. FREY E L L I S , President:

Epsom, Surrey.

Mr. J. SANDERSON.

Vice-Presidents: M r s . E . BATT, M r s . S . COLES, M r s . M . HENDERSON, D r C . N I M M O , M i s s W . SIMMONS, M i s s M . SIMMONS, M r s . E . SHRIGLEY, D r .

F . WOKES. Secretary: Mrs. LOUISE D A V I S , Treasu Librarian

London, S . E . 1 2 .

(to whom all subscriptions should be sent), , Palmers Green, London, N.13. : Mr. W . H . C. W R I G H T ,

Enfield, Middlesex.

Committee: Mrs. E . BATT, Mr. H . BONNIE, Mrs. S. COLES, Mr. P. D A W E S , Dr. F . ELLIS, Mrs. J. FUGEMAN, Miss T. LARKIN, Mr. J SANDERSON, M r s . E . SHWGLJEY, M r s . G . SMITH, D r . F . W O K E S , M r . W

WRIGHT.

M i n i m u m subscription, which includes " The Vegan ", 15s. per annum (and 7s. 6d. for each additional member of one family at same residence); 7s. 6d. if age under 18; payable in January. Life Membership, £10 10s. Od.

THE JOURNAL

VEGAN

THE

VEGAN

SOCIETY

The Editorial Board does not necessarily agree with opinions expressed by contributors t o this magazine, o r endorse advertisements. Please send articles and letters for publication to 58 Deyncourt Gardens, Upminster, Essex. Editor: Mr. JACK SANDERSON. Vegan Distribution Secretary. Mrs. D. HANSON, , Colchester, Essex. Advertisements: Mr. P H I L I P D A W E S , 10 Derby Road, Caversham, Reading, Berks. Rates: Whole page—£10 0s. 0d.; Half page— £6 0s. 0d.; Quarter page—£3 10s. Od. Advertisements must be in keeping with the principles of veganism, and t h e Publishers reserve the right to refuse any advertisement, or cancel any order without explanation. Published quarterly: Annual Subscription, 10s.; single copies, 2s. 6d. plus postage. Obtainable f r o m the Hon. Secretary.

THE VEGAN Journal

oj the Vegan

Vol. 17. No. 2.

Societj

SUMMER, 1970

EDITORIAL During the past year we have, as a Society, celebrated our 25th Anniversary. Servers great and small have made their contribution, and the Society, functioning on a small budget and a shoe string cf time, has quietly forged ahead and penetrated public consciousness so that the word " vegan " has been added to the language and its meaning become known not only to vegetarians and food reformers, but to nutritionists, doctors, dietitians, and also readers of women's magazines and the correspondence columns of many newspapers, whilst it has been referred to on radio and television. We are indeed indebted to a relatively small number of active people mostly in the London area who have made this possible. When the Vegan Society began, it served the needs of a small group of members of the London Vegetarian Society plus a few other enthusiasts, and from them on it served as a focal point for the gathering and distribution of knowledge gained from personal experience and experimentation, so that those who take the path of veganism today can draw upon a fund of information on veganic ideals, diets and alternatives and readily link up with others of like mind. Whilst the value of the Society and its work grow with every passing day, let us not forget that it is part of a greater and often invisible fellowship which has no bounds either in place or time. Mr. D. C. Desai, who wrote that wonderful article in our Spring, 1970, issue on " The Fundamental Principles of Veganism," belongs to another nation (India) which has a culture which has been more ready than ours to adopt some and often all the principles of veganism and which, through its nobler sons, has much to teach the West. In the U.S.A., the American Vegan Society has just celebrated its 10th Anniversary, and we congratulate the Dinshahs on the remarkable impact they have made on the nutritional and allied fields in their great country. In most countries of the world there are individuals or societies 41

practising, .wholly or partially, the vegan way of life, and we are privileged to be in touch with many of them. N o t only geographically in different places, but historically too in different times, there have Ibeen those who have lived and practised compassion and Ahimsa often in harsher conditions than ours, and records of some of these have come down to us and reveal that, though the Vegan Society is comparatively new, its ideals are not, for they are of the very structure of life itself, both in the human and divine sense. Just before Paul toegan his work of building up the Christian Church, there lived a man called Apollonius of Tyana who lived in Tarsus. He, like Jesus, went about healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out devils and prophesying things that shortly came to pass. As the article in this issue shows, the (principles of veganism were central to his teaching. (We hope to include similar extracts from other teachers in subsequent issues.) The Vegan Society has the task (1) of interpreting the principles to our present situation in a palatable modern form, (2) of showing how they can be practised now, and (3) of pointing the way to desirable changes in the future. J. SANDERSON. FUTURE

MEETINGS

EAST KENT VEGETARIAN SOCIETY.—Saturday, July 18th, 1970, The Red Cross Hall, Lower Chantry Lane, Canterbury, at 3 p.m. (Secretary: Miss M. Sleigh, 5 Walton Manor Close, Folkestone.) Speaker.: Mrs. E. B a t t , " Food of the Future." THE ESSEX AND EAST LONDON NATURAL HEALTH SOCIETY —

August 10th, " Food of the Future," a talk by Mrs. Batt at the Wanstead Community Centre, London (near the Wanstead Underground Station, Central Line), at 8 p.m. THE VEGAN SOCIETY.—Saturday, September 26th, 1970. The Alliance Hall (near Caxton Hall), Westminster (2 minutes St. James's Park Tube Station), at 3 p.m. " Gardening Without Poisons," by Lawrence D. Hills (Director of Henry Doubleday Research Association," and Gardening Correspondent of " Here's Health." Saturday, November 28th, 1970, The Alliance Hall, Westminster. A.G.M. 2.30 p.m.

THANKS!

" A very sincere vote of thanks is extended to those members who answered our plea for help in the last issue. Especially to Mrs. D. Hansen who has kindly offered to take over the important task of addressing the envelopes and des42

patching the Journal, to Mrs. Linda March who presented us with an addressograph, and to Mr. Fulcher for his Cheque which will cover the transport, the insurance, and some of the stencils. You have all been very generous—we don't know what we would do without you! " WELCOME

AND

THANKS

Welco n Distribution Secretary, Mrs. D. Hanson, Colchester, Essex, and thank you in advance for the great service you are performing. Thanks, tod, to Miss Thelma Larkin, who has performed the duties so well for many years—we hope that you may continue to serve in other ways. TREASURER'S

CHANGE

ADDRESS

Please note the new address (on the inside front cover) of . Mrs. Grace (and Joan) Smith. MARIGOLD

FOODS

As a result of the success of this health food Company, Marigold Foods Limited, have now moved to new and larger premises situated at 29 Bell Street, {Edgeware Road), London, N.W.I. They have recently put on the market a Mediterranean Sea Salt, of which, they say, " You can smell the Mediterranean in it". Their other products include a Rose Petal and Apple Jelly—a delicious delicacy too, Chufa Nuts, Sesame Seed Cream, Solid Pack Bramley Apples, Fruit Chutney, and Dried Comfrey which is marketed in collaboration with the Henry Doubleday Research Association and The Soil Association. All Marigold products are vegan and of a high standard and can be purchased in health food shops. P.D. DEED

COVENANT

Tne Vegan Society, being a charity is not liable to income tax. Supporters who pay income tax at the full rate and who are prepared to-complete a Seven-Year Covenant, to pay an annual sum to the Vegan Society, can substantially increase the value to the Vegan Society of their annual payment. For instance, if a supporter gave £2 2s. Od. per annum, the Vegan Society can recover income tax from the Inland Revenue of £1 9s. 6d. and so in proportion for larger or smaller payments. In the event of death the covenant terminates at once. For further information and Form e to: The Treasurer, Mrs. Grace Smith, , Palmers Green, London, N.13; 43

THE VEGETARIAN SOCIETY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM Annual Conference, May 8-11th, 1970 With Serena Coles I shared the honour of representing the Vegan Society at the May Meetings last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the first since the unification of the Vegetarian Societies last October, and an extremely interesting and enjoyable experience it proved to be. The Meetings began on Friday evening with a demonstration of Beauty Without Cruelty cosmetics 'by Mrs. Pat Milroy and, of course, this proved a great attraction with the ladies. This was followed on the Saturday with a Fashion Show of simulated furs, to which Lady Dowding gave a beautiful and moving, introduction. The walls of the Concert Room in which the Fashion Show and other meetings were held were dressed with a numiber of very attractive flower paintings which, I learned later, were the work of Mrs. Margaret Grant, an active member of the Bath Vegetarian Society. We had the pleasure of meeting this energetic young lady on Monday when she was helping with the Cookery Demonstration. A kind and thoughtful gesture on the part of our hosts, the Bath Vegetarian Society,"were the handsome camellias from Cornwall which were presented to all the guests at the Reception preceding the Dinner on the Saturday. In his capacity as Master of Ceremonies at this function, Mr. Brindley Flower introduced Mrs. Kathleen KeJeny, President of the host Society, and a V.C.A. and V.E.A. member, and wellknown demonstrator of vegetarian cookery ; The Mayor of Bath, Councillor A. S. Poison, who extended a warm welcome to the delegates ; Dr. Gordon Latto, President of the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom ; the Indian Prince the Rajkumah of Visianagram, who had just arrived by air from India to attend the Meetings; and the Marquis de St. Innocent, President of the International Vegetarian Union. The delegates' conference took place on the Sunday morning when a new and, we thought, improved format was introduced. Dr. Gordon Latto took the Chair, and five speakers were introduced, each of whom gave a short account of one aspect of vegetarianism, after which questions and comments were invited from the floor before passing on to the next speaker. George Barwick spoke first, his subject was " Youth," and he gave a concise and well-prepared talk on the present trend of Young Vegetarian activities, including suggestions for attracting more young people to the movement. He also reminded his 44

listeners that he had been a true vegetarian—a vegan-—(for the last eight years. Mr. Maxwell Lee, speaking on "Vegetarian Economy," referred to some of the new strains of cereals and grains such as japonica rice, as an example of how food production can be increased. " With some 3,500 million people to be fed, animal food, apart from any other consideration, is a luxury we just cannot afford," he said. Mr. Jack Lucas, on" Plans and Prospects," referred briefly first to fish as a food, a question which had been raised from the floor just previously ; and surprised some of us by his statement that fish accounts for less than 2% of all flesh foods consumed by man. When speaking on " Education," Mrs. Isabel James reminded us that Mrs. Fay Henderson gave the first vegetarian cookery classes 21 years ago. The last speaker from the platform was Mr. Kenneth Brown on " Public Relations." "Apathy is a far greater enemy than opposition," he said, and went on to rejoice in the current availability of humane alternatives to animal products such as leather. ".We were getting very tired of having our shoes thrown in our faces," he said. " Now that problem has been overcome." Considerable interest was shown in all subjects, many questions were raised and comments made, and only pressure of time prevented many more. A steady drizzle persisted throughout the coach tour of the city after lunch, hut the guide filled us in with descriptions of what we were passing. One thing which struck me was the large number of commemoration plaques stating that this or that illustrious—or notorious—person lived or stayed there. Queen Elizabeth the First seems to have been a notable exception for once, but Lord Nelson, Beau Nash of course, Dr. Oliver (of Bath Oliver biscuit fame), Lady Hamilton, Earl Roberts, David Livingstone, Thomas Gainsborough, Charles Dickens, John Wesley, Lord Clive (of India), William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, William Pitt and Jane Austen are only a few notables who made Bath their home for a time. Brains Trust There could have been no one who did not thoroughly enjoy being " educated " on the Sunday evening. Mr. W. Willox, of the Edstone Nature Cure Resort, took the Chair, and his knowledgeable panel consisted of Dr. D. S. Morris, from Gloucester ; Dr. J. B. Williamson, of the Nature Cure Clinic in London ; Mrs. Ruth Harrison, author of the book "Animal Machines "; Mrs. Isabel James, of Rothay Bank Guest House ; Mr. G. Reid, of Bristol, a schoolmaster ; and the Rajkumah of Visianagram, who raises coconuts in India and is responsible for the care of many orphans there. 45

In answer to a question from the floor on a vegan versus vegetarian diet, the panel were agreed that, because milk production necessitates animal slaughter, it is -a weak plank in the lactovegetarian platform, and is to be regretted. Some speakers admitted to an uneasy conscience on this account. Although vegans were not represented on the panel on this occasion, I was invited to speak on the subject, and I talked about the part clinical tests and scientific investigations are playing in establishing veganism as a nutritionally adequate and generally acceptable way of life. Towards the close of the meeting, Mrs. Coles was also given an opportunity to say a few words in support of veganism. Though short, both speeches were warmly received. Recently we have noticed a growing interest in veganism and sympathy for our ideals, due no doubt in no small measure to the work of scientific and clinical research undertaken 'by Dr. Ellis and others which shows that, on a sensible (food reform) vegan diet, supplemented toy foods such as Plamil, Barmene or Granogen, where necessary, vegans remain " remarkably normal." The evening went all too quickly with, again, many questions left unasked, but those considered were ably and thoroughly dealt with. I find the Brains Trusts not only interesting and instructive, but they often help one to see things in a wider perspective. Those of us who were able to stay on Monday had the pleasure of watching a Cookery Demonstration given by Mrs. James, assisted by Mrs. Keleny, Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Grant. One hundred and twenty people attended, many were local nonvegetarians, but all watched eagerly for new ideas, and certainly enjoyed the tasting sessions afterwards! Most of the dishes demonstrated could be easily adapted to vegan requirements, and we may 'be able to include one or two in a later issue, when we have tried them out with small but very important variations. Protoveg may prove to be a great help to people living alone who have a desire for " hot dinners," so I was pleased to see this â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the unflavoured kindâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;used in stuffing vegetables. Mrs. Keleny reminded us that veganism is the spearhead of vegetarianism, and Mrs. James sees herself as a link between the man in the street, to whom she tries to introduce vegetarian dishes, and the vegans, who may be able, in time, to take him a step farther. The guide books say that the history of a thousand years is contained within the walls of the Abbey alone, and we obviously could not do justice to that in a long weekend! A little of it rubs off, however, and some, long forgotten, is recalled as one strolls around. We were told the legend of the discovery of the healing powers of the hot springs, how, in 800 B.C., Bladard, son of the King of Britain, contracted leprosy and left home to become a swineherd. But he imparted his disease to the pigs who, when 46

they came to this place, plunged into the steaming mud and were cured. Naturally 'Bladard followed their example and was soon able to return to his father's court. The legend also says that he later went back and built baths near the springs and laid the foundations of a centre of healing. However that may be, eight hundred and forty-three years later came the Romans, who certainly -knew a good thing when they saw it. They renamed it Aquae Sulis—Water of the Sun— and walled in 23 acres around the baths and the temple which they had erected to their goddess of the waters, Minerva (they had no intention of allowing those savage Britons to fraternise!). Another peep into the guide book tells us that the baths that the Romans built here are the greatest tangible relics of their occupation of Britain. The city was destroyed by the Saxons in A.D. 577, the baths silted up with mud from the river, the roof and walls collapsed, and all were gradually buried under twenty feet of mud, which preserved them to some extent, until they were discovered towards the end of the nineteenth century. It was not until 1878 that an intensive effort was made to excavate, and during the next few years the Roman baths were discovered. The plumbing system, the piles of stone slabs making a honeycomb under mosaic floors (some of which remain) for hot air ducts, the bronzes and statues, the system which brought cold water to the bathers, probably for drinking or a cold spray, the set of dice (one of which is loaded!), the engraved stones, the piece of lead engraved with a " curse " (by some rejected suitor apparently), and a solid pig of lead weighing 195 Lbs. and stamped with the mark of the Emperor Hadrian, all take one back in imagination most vividly, and instil a sense of proportion and the unimportance of our own few decades. During all this time, hot water has been gushing up from the bowels of the earth at the rate of half a million gallons a day! At a constant temperature of 120 degrees F. Summer and winter, day and night, it never varies. Although the Roman Baths were buried for so long, the hot mineral water continued to flow—or rather pour—and the first modern pump room was constructed in 1906. The water can still be drunk from a fountain in the present pump room, but much of it is pumped away for use in the Royal Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and the Hot Springs Physical Training Centre. Of all the British Spas, Bath alone is the fortunate possessor of a never-failing supply of hot mineral water of absolute purity. It also keeps two swimming pools supplied: Standing in the cloud of steam and watching this extraordinary phenomenon of nature has an extremely levelling effect! The great Roman bath, 80 feet by 40 feet, fed toy this hot gusher, is also gently steaming under the sky. To swim in history here, as one is able to do during the Festival in June (if one is fortunate 47

enough to get a ticket, of course), knowing that the lead conduit was laid down toy a Roman plumber nearly 2,000 years ago and that the entire floor of the toath is still the original Roman lead from the MendLp Hills. What a thrill! (And, oh, for a plumber of that calibre, now.) EVA BATT. BEFORE

THE

VEGAN

SOCIETY

Veganism was stated and practised by individuals and groups in many parts of the world long before the Vegan Society was founded in November, 1944, and Dr. Ellis sends us the following extract (p. 121) from G. >R. S. Mead's book on "Apollonius of Tyana":â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " For sense, young sir, I have no charms ; my cup is filled with toils unto the brim. Would anyone embrace my way of life, he must resolve to banish from his board all food that once bore life, to lose the memory of wine, and thus no more wisdom's cup befoulâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the cup that doth consist of wine-untainted souls. Nor shall wool warm him, nor aught that's made from any beast. I give, my servants shoes of bast and as they can to sleep. And if I find them overcome with love's delights, I've ready pits down into which that, justice which doth follow hard on wisdom's foot, doth drag and thrust them ; indeed, so stern am I to those who choose my way, that e'en upon their tongues I bind a chain. Now hear from me what things thou'lt gain, if you endure. An innate sense of fitness and of right and ne'er to feel that any's lot is better than thy own ; tyrants to strike with fear instead of being a fearsome slave to tyranny ; to have the Gods more greatly bless thy scanty gifts than those who pour before them blood of bulls. If thou art pure, I'll give thee how to know what things will be as well, and fill thy eyes so full of light that thou may'st recognise the Gods, the heroes, know, and prove and try the shadowy forms that feign the shapes of men."

THERE

ANOTHER

VEGAN

DISTRICT?

If you are new to the society or are isolated and would like to contact other vegans, at ase send in your particulars to Mrs. Davis, , London, S.E.12, who will try to put you in contact with other vegans who would similarly welcome pen friends. If there is a suitable response, a register can be kept, and maybe vegans who are neighbours can be put in touch, and those who are not can become pen pals. THANK

YOU

To our very kind "Anonymous," your (second) cheque has arrived and your generosity is deeply appreciated. G.S. 48

COMMODITIES Footwear Although we know that the range and supply of good-quality simulated leather is increasing and improving, we must not forget that due to factory farming and the world-wide increase in meat consumption, stocks of that second-hand product called " real leather " are similarly increasing. We now face a campaign to popularise that old-fashioned and somewhat unhygienic practice of sleeping in envelopes of down, only because the hen-battery and broiler-house men are in danger of suffocating under the mountains of feathers they have produced! As for leather, it is important to remember that many of the shoes sold in this country, and a great deal of the leather used, is imported, and our imports of cattle hides are still increasing. If you are wondering why we need to import thousands of tons of hides every year when our animal breeding programme is so high, I can tell you. It is because, under the present crazy commercial system, we are exporting an ever-increasing number of young animals " on the hoof "; to be fattened, slaughtered and skinned abroad. Then we import the skins! In a report on Corfam in Geneva, Dr. Gordon Jenkins of Dupont said: " We know our traditional competitor will never quit, because each cow will continue to come encased in cowhide." Nevertheless, the quality and quantity of non-leather shoes continues to increase. We know the manufacturers, but our great difficulty has been to trace the shoes through to the shops. In the past there has been someâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;perhaps understandableâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;reluctance on the part of manufacturers and retailers to brand nonleather footwear, and because of this our post consists largely of letters asking us in which shops the shoes we recommend can be bought. The request may came from a village in the Highlands or the outback in Australia. As always, supply depends upon demand. When enough people prefer non-leather goods, then the manufacturers will be very anxious to co-operate with us, but until then no one is overanxious to tell the public that their products, which may look and feel like " real " leather, actually are not! But at last the pattern is changing and the manufacturers of " GLUV " and " TUF " shoes for men are not only using Corfam for uppers, but also publishing this fact and lining some models with one of the new poromeric lining materials (see Spring issue). These new shoes are therefore completely air and water permeable, which makes for foot health and comfort. It stands to reason that it is not much good putting a cheap lining in a good upper, water vapour permeability is very important, and 49

materials like Roy Poreda, Porolux and a few others have the ability to absorb moisture inside the shoe and pass it through to the upper material. Also, these new poromeric linings are more rot-resistant and less liable to perspiration damage than leather. In our somewhat desperate attempts to help those people who have little choice in the way of shops, we recently contacted the mail order house, Marshall Ward (see Spring). The company could not have 'been more helpful, sending us a list of 36 styles for ladies at present in stock (including some Lotus, Bally and Norvic brands) and two for girls. One shoe we asked about was rejected iby them because it had a percentage of leather fibres bonded in the insoleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which indicates that they went to some trouble to be helpful and strictly accurate. This year the world's largest shoe retailing organisation, The British Shoe Corporation, has decided to turn over the entire output of one factory to making Corfam shoes. These will be sold under the Manfield, Dolcis and Saxone labels, and the manufacturer of Lotus shoes tells us that they are now making 40,000 pairs a week of entirely non-leather shoes. Polyurethane In the past year an enormous amount of research has been undertaken to find new and more practical ways of adapting polyurethane for new uses in the manufacture of shoes. Clarks are running wear tests on it for soling, and the trade is said to be welcoming it as a golden sun of opportunity. Paint, flooring and upholstery are fully exploiting this versatile material, and in the footwear industry it is already in use as the surface layer in poromeric upper materials such as Corfam, Clarino and hi-Telac. Povair is made entirely from polyurethane.

}. H. Benecke, of Hanover, make an interesting and very full range of shoe materials, from uppers to linings, insoles, slipper soles, sandal facings, socking, vamp linings, quarter lining and insole covering. Their speciality is " Roy Poreda," which, as well as being air permeable, conforms to the variations of the foot through heat or exercise and will expand and contract to ensure foot comfort. This makes it ideal for all weathers, all climatesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and awkward feet! We are now waiting for a British manufacturer to start using it!

The materials are there, a very wide range at competitive prices and guaranteeable standard qualityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;only consumer demand is needed now. 50

FOOTWEAR. Available now Lotus " Penny Bright" Ladies' Shoes Lotus "Abbie" in " Wet Look " Lotina, a court shoe with laige buckle and I f " wide Cuban heel. In Black, Red, White, Tan. No. 23270, 4 9 / l i d . Lotus "Alison," also in Lotina, similar to above, but with sling back. In Black, Red, White, Tan. No. 23252, 4 9 / l i d . Lotus "Amelia," sling back, Cuban heel, buckle. Town Brown or Red in smooth finish. Black or White in smooth or shiny finish. No. 23266, 45/1 Id. Lotus "Antonia." Smart broad instep strap with buckle, Cuban heel. Smooth finish. In Black," Red, True Blue or Sandalwood-Shadowed. No. 23284, 45/1 Id. Lotus "Alice" 11." Court shoe with broad bow trim, 2f" heel. Smooth finish. In Black, Brown, Coffee and True Blue. No. 18284, 4 5 / l i d . Lotus "Amy 11." Sling-back court with cut-out trim, 2" heel. Smooth finish. In Black, True Blue, White or Cream. No. 21950, 39/1Id. Lotus "Ada." As "Amy," but with bow and button trim. In Black, Brown, True Blue and Red. No: 22572, 3 9 / l i d . Lotus "Anthea 11". Smooth finish court with fancy stitching and small bow trim, 2" heel. In Blaok, Brown, Coffee, True Blue or Cream. No. 22560, 3 9 / l i d . All the last five models can be had also in shiny finish. Lotus "Astrid." In a shiny finish with the fashionable " platform " piping and large buckle, 2\" Cuban heel, sling back. In Black, True Blue, Red or Yellow, all with White Rand*. No. 23233, 4 9 / l l d . Lotus "Angeline." Another fashion platform shoe with sling back, 1J" Cuban heel and neat instep strap with buckle. In smooth finish. Black, Madeira Blue, Red or Yellow, all with White Rand. White has Desert Shade Rand. Blue can also be had with shiny finish. No. 23240, 4 9 / l l d . Lotus Softees for the wider foot (E fittings) Lotus "Agnes 11." Court style with 2XV heel. In Black, Brown, Coffee, True Blue or Cream. No. 22556, 3 9 / l i d . Lotus "Avril 11." Wide fitting court shoe with stitched trim and 2" LXL heel. In Black, Brown, Coffee, True Blue or Cream. No. 22543, 3 9 / l i d . Delta " Penny Bright" Sandals Delta " Rimini. In shiny synthetic. 2" Cuban heel. Wide cross straps, open toe and heel. In Black, Red,-White, Cream or Yellow. Nos. 23170-4, 39/1 Id. Delta " Riviera." Sandal with 2" Cuban heel. In Black, White, Red, True Blue, Beige. All shiny finish. Nos. 23185-9, 39/lid. â&#x20AC;˘"Piping trim between upper and sole. 51

Delta " Rogano." Two-colour sandal with one wide apron strap and wide instep strap. Cuban heel. Shiny smooth finish. In Black/Tortoiseshell, True Blue/White, Cream/Beige. Nos. 23204-6, 3 9 / l i d . Delta " Rydal." Shiny finish sandal with three foot straps and wider instep strap. In Black, White, Red, Beige or Yellow. Nos. 23190-4, 3 9 / l i d . Delta " Roxey." Sandal with platform sole, 2" Cuban heel, shiny finish. In Black/Red, All White, Red/Blue, Blue/Yellow or Blue/White. Nos. 23216, 4 9 / l i d . All plastic shoes available in Curtiss Shops. Just three examples of many styles. We picked these for their suitability for wide or difficult feet. No. 1126. Plaited uppers and low square heels. Black. 25/-. No. 1326. As above in Ivory. No.'1391. Toeless shoe with flat heel in Ivory. 32/-. No. 2886. White summer shoe with square toe and flat heel. 23/.An excellent walking shoe for every day. comfort can be found in Barratt's shoe shops. They are called 'Barratt's Sports Hikers, and the model we have here is " B o n n i e " at 2 9 / l i d . It has a really low heel, mocassin-type vinyl upper and is quite roomy and comfortable. Colours: Cream, Chocolate, Brown or Tan. It is made with a choice of two non-leather soles and is also available with a sling-back heel. The number of this one is 21/347/15, and the owner recommends it highly for all-day service. MEN'S SUITS Even Wool is losing ground ! What a joy to know that suits for men in washable crimplene are on the market at last! How wonderful to be able to launder men's suitsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and so much more hygienic! All we have to do now is persuade our conservative menfolk to wear them. This may not be so easy! Brushes From L. G. Harris comes a new super-quality range of paint and emulsion brushes for the do-it-yourself enthusiast. The bristles are of Granyi, ground and flagged at the tips to preserve the " laying-off " properties of hog bristle. The long synthetic bristles make for easier faster painting, give a smooth finish, are easier to. clean, and will last almost indefinitely with proper care. 3" Paint Brush, No. 142, with Granyi bristles, 49/6d. each. Hard-wearing Nylon Industrial Paint Brush (not recommended for fine work), No. 134: 52

2" 19 /6d. each 3" 32/-d. each 4" 49/8d. each Distemper and Emulsion Brushes with simulated hog bristles of Granyi, No.. 834: 4" 67/6d. each And other sizes up to 7". â&#x20AC;˘ The brushes may not be found in the average retail store as they are catalogued, under "professional and industrial," but Messrs. Harris tell us they would be prepared to supply them to our readers direct. Write to: L. G. Harris & Co., Ltd., Stoke Prior, Worcs. Household Products All the sponges and cleaning materials made by Sponcel (Ltd. can be recommended as entirely animal-free. This includes Moppet, Scat and Nytex Scourers, and car shampoos as well as .the many popular sponges from the super soft Velure Polymer Toilet Sponge to the TUF Synthetic Sponge for really hard work. One advantage of all these products is that they are unaffected by oil or grease. They can even be boiled if necessary after a particularly filthy jobâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;on the car for instance. Sponge cellulose is highly absorbent and can hold anything up to 25 times its own weight of water. Milk and Margarine " Non Dairy " Milks and Margarine made from Pure Vegetable Oil It has 'been brought to our attention, yet again, that quite a few vegans are being misled by the obscure wording in advertisements and the lack of information on labels into thinking that such products are vegan. They are not. The absence of a mention of milk among the ingredients on the label does not signify that the product is milkfree. In most cases it is a small quantity of cows' milk, from which the fat has been extracted, which puts the article in the non-vegan category. Often it is only added for flavouring purposes, but it is there. (Watch for the words sodium caseinate on the label.) Once again, the only vegan margarines at present available are Golden Block and Tomor. (The various nut butters and creams are vegan of course.) The only truly non-dairy milks are Plamil, Granogen and Granolac, and Velactin. Bread We. have an assurance that no bread sold at the London Health Centre's shops contains animal fat or other non-vegan ingredient. 53

Biscuits Any biscuit lover who read Bernard Levin's mouth-watering description of Paterson's Griddle Oatcakes in the Daily Mail will be pleased to learn that they are quite vegan. Gloves Watch for the new unlined vinyl gloves for ladies. They have just enough " g i v e " to conform well, and have an excellent " feel " as well as a good appearance. We first saw them in Selfridge's, but now many small drapers have them in several colours and styles. At the moment they'all seem to be " Empire made " and have no brand name. Around 11/- a pair. Familia Muesli Just in case anyone has -not noticed it, Familia Muesli now contains honey. COW'S MILK Sediment Sediment in cow's milk has been giving the Milk Marketing Board trouble. The February issue of their journal, The Milk Producer, describes the constituents of the sediment as " soil, dung, cow's hairs, seeds, forage, or dust ". Q-Fever Q-Fever was first identified among slaughtermen. It now afflicts about 70 people a year in'the U.K.; in May 1969 it took a new turn, when 29 cases among boys and staff occurred in an outbreak in a detention centre in Staffordshire. The probable source'of infection was untreated milk from the dairy-herd at the centre. Learning at Mother's Breast Cow's milk suits an animal that grows much faster than human babies, and it is much richer in protein and calcium than human milk. Breast-feeding is therefore beneficial for human babies, if only for their first weeks. Plant-milks can be approximated to the composition of human milk, but all the accepted baby-foods based on cow's milk are likely to introduce some troubles. A doctor reports (British Medical Journal, 1970, 1, 563) over a dozen cases in the last two years of babies in convulsions brought to Stoke Hospital, the distress being due to the high calcium content of the baby-foods. Calcium is an essential mineral but, like other essential components of food, a heavy excess can lead to trouble, which is why concentrated foods and pills should be administered only under supervision. 54

Primitive Living A Scottish doctor went to live and work in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, in the Western Pacific, once the stamping-ground of Robert Louis Stevenson. The Gilbertese have never seen a field nor a cow ; the doctor reported that one class of nurses was quite disgusted when they suddenly realized during the course of a lecture that the powdered milk which comes in tins actually originates in the animal's mammary glands. (British Medical Journal, 1969, 4. 802). A Litre Pinta Newcastle University Agriculture Unit has estimated that a change to metric could reduce sales of milk by 10%, since the housewife is known to buy by the container-full rather than by volume: a half-litre (500 ml) is less than a pint (568 ml). A.L. FRUSTRATION AND SUCCESS March 11th marks the culmination of five years' intensive endeavour to export Plamil plantmilk to Sweden. It began in 1965 when the chairman of our Swedish firm of importers attended the I.V.U. Congress and tasted Plamil for the first time. A continuous flow of correspondence has passed between the respective companies since this time, causing the file to become as voluminous as a London telephone directory. A quote from a letter dated April 4th, 1966, from the Swedish firm is indicative of the frustrations encountered at different stages, viz.: â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " The local Custom house has received the goods (Plamil) for pronouncing their opinion of it, but because THIS IS A WHOLLY NEW PRODUCT WHICH HAS NEVER BEFORE BEEN IMPORTED, they could not give an answer and have directed if to the General Customs Management in Stockholm." In December 29th, 1966, another letter arrived which read: â&#x20AC;&#x201D; "According to Swedish regulations, Plamil falls under the margarine rules and accordingly cannot be sold because of the fat content being too low! Only through an application to the King can exemption be obtained. We are applying now and hope that the King will grant it to us." February 14th, 1967; brought a cheerful communication stating that the King had granted conference for personal deliberation concerning Plamil. 1967 to 1969 was spent in clarifying and defining various aspects of the composition of Plamil in order to ensure that it complied with the food regulations in operation in Sweden. We have, for example, had to provide information on the nature of protein fat content, proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and calcium phosphates and answer multitudinous queries. The writer's experience was that as soon as one query was answered, 55

the Swedish authorities would come back with a further query, so much so that when a letter arrived recently stating that all difficulties with the Swedish authorities had been overcome, the news seemed almost unbelievable! This success is therefore as a result of a dogged determination to achieve what at times appeared the impossible, and we hope that vegans in Sweden are now finding dietary life easier. â&#x20AC;˘ Our Swedish agents expressed a wish for a lighter green label for the Swedish range ; it looked so impressive that we have decided to change to this colour with our English label. C. A . LING (Secretary),

Plantmilk Limited.

LIVING

WITHOUT

CRUELTY

EXHIBITION

On .Friday and Saturday, March 13th and 14th, a Practical Introduction to Better Living Exhiibition was held at Fairfields Hall, Croydon, organised by the East Surrey Vegetarian Society. Fairfields Hall is Croydon's " festival hall "; it made a fine setting for the exhibition, and this venue attracted a larger attendance than would possibly have been the case had the event been held in a less conspicuous building. Mr. Malcolm Muggeridge officially opened the Exhibition on the Friday, and movingly spoke of his conversion to the vegetarian way of living a few years ago. He forcibly condemned the present trend towards factory farming, and instanced that this could well be the forerunner of human beings being brought up in this way! Lady Dowding conducted a very successful fashion show on the Saturday afternoon ; indeed this proved such a success that an unplanned repeat performance was put on a little later in the afternoon. The emphasis was on food produced from non-animal sources, and the local Croydon Health Food Store (aptly known as " a shop in a 100 " because its address is 100 High Street) put on a fine display of vegetarian foods. Protoveg was introduced to many for the first time, and Plantmilk Ltd. also had a stand and displayed its Plamil plantmilk, chocolate, fudge and pease pudding. It was manned throughout by members of the Vegan Society, either by its own Director or members representing the Vegan Society as such. It proved a fine opportunity to interest many genuine enquirers in a vegan way of life, and a considerable volume of literature was given away or sold. On Friday and Saturday evenings, crowds from the concerts and other events taking place in Fairfields Hall poured into the Exhibition, particularly during " interval time," and the Exhibition attracted the general public in the widest sense of the term and was a great success. AJL. 56

MY COLUMN Dangers in Milk Between 2,000 and 4,000 people catch Brucellosis every year, and the major cause is infected milk from an estimated 30,000 dairy herd carrying the brucella virus. A recent survey estimated that between six and seven per cent, of all canned milk was infected. Dr. H. E. Smith, writing in Rural Medicine and quoted in the Morning Telegraph (Yorks.), says, " Pesticides, including D.D.T., are concentrated tenfold when they are passed into milk or butter." The Source " There is no indispensable food, and it is now obvious that there are many ways to compound a good diet. It does not matter whether the calcium comes from milk or tortilla ; whether the iron comes from meat or tampala ; whether the niacin comes from liver or peanuts ; whether the ^tryptophane comes from eggs or soybeans; or whether the calories come from wheat or rice, so long as these nutrients are available." Dr. Robert Harris of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, quoted in Today's Food. Carrots Biological Pest Control A member tells us that carrot fly will not trouble these vegetables if onions or parsley are sown with carrots in alternate rows. Let me 'know if it worksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and let us have your tips on pest control, please! (See Future Meetings.) Glazed Carrots Cook carrots whole in as little water as possible and season with a little oil and brown sugar. Delicious! Cookery hint from Today's Food. I cannot remember who, but someone told me that nasturtium leaves are a natural antibiotic. Can any reader throw light on this? " Pest Control" Hare coursing could only take place in a curtailed form this year, not because enlightened law-makers introduced legislation ; nor was it due to protests from anti-hunters. No, it was a shortage of hares for the greyhounds to chase! Nevertheless, I predict that next winter we shall hear the old cry about coursing being necessary to keep down a pest! 57

Oh joy, we have one cheerful note with which to conclude: London's cleaner air is attracting many birds back to our city. Magpies and Jays, Black Redstarts, Grey Wagtails, Greenfinches, Kestrels, Tree Creepers, Spotted Flycatchers and House Martens. There is also a marked increase in the number of Blackbirds, and all because London's cleaner atmosphere is bringing back the insects on which they live. Maybe the birds have realized that the insect life found in city parks and gardens contains rather less D.D.T., etc., than that in country hedgerows—where there are any left! " EVITA."

TASTY RECIPES SIMPLE NUT 1.

5 6 1 4

RISSOLES

ozs. chopped fried onion ozs. mashed potatoes heaped teaspoon sage ozs. cooked carrots

4 ozs. ground brazils or other nuts 1 heaped teaspoon Agar

METHOD: Mix, mould into shape, roll in wholemeal flour and fry lightly. Alternatively, can be baked in the oven. 2.

2 ozs. wholemeal bread without crusts (broken up) put in basin and add: — ozs. mashed potato 1 tsp. dried herbs (preferably ozs. onion (grated) basil) tbspris. water Salt tsp. Barmene or Vecon add:— ozs. ground nuts. 1 oz. flour (wholemeal)

2 3 2 1 Then 4

METHOD: Mash and blend thoroughly and form into rissoles. Coat 1 with wholemeal flour and fry in oil. UNFIRED NUT 1. 2.

2 4 1 2 2

tbspns. ground tbspns. ground teaspoon oil tbspns. ground tbspns. ground

SAVOURIES

hazels cashews

i tsp. herbs 2 good pinches basil Salt About 1 tsp. of oil i level teapsoon • Vecon

cashews brazils

METHOD: Mix well, form into shape and serve with salad or cooked vegetables. 3.

i lb. fine breadcrumbs

6 ozs. milled cashew nuts

METHOD: Blend together an onion, a carrot, 2 tomatoes, a clove of garlic, and mix this into the dry ingredients. Roll in Weetabix. 4.

One third of a wholemeal loaf crumbled (about 4 ozs.) Equal quantity of milled cashew nuts Large onion

METHOD: Mix all together. crushed cornflakes. 58

Mixed herbs, parsley and garlic (if liked) put into blender Large carrot 2 tomatoes

Form into rissoles arid roll in J

QUICK

WHEATMEAL

BREAD

Try this new quick way of making bread. It really is very simple, and a great time-saver. This quantity, makes one loaf or twelve rolls. 1 lb. mixed plain flours, wholemeal and strong white,*, in any proportion. 1 oz. fresh yeast. 1 tsp. each sugar and salt. ^ pint water at blood heat. METHOD: Rub yeast into flour, salt and sugar, add all the water and mix to a soft dough. Work to a smooth elastic consistency, dusting the hands with flour if inclined to stick. Place into well-greased (or non-stick) bread tin. Put inside a large greased polythene bag, loosely tied, and allow to rise to double size. Remove bag. Bake on middle shelf of hot oven, 450Â° F. or gas mark 8 for 30 to 40 minutes. *Allinson's, Marriage's or Prewett's.

BOOK REVIEWS " The Making of a Counter Culture", Theodore Roszak, Faber, 45/-. Vegans may sometimes feel that their belief in and practice of the. harmless way of life is an isolated happening in a world which fails to understand.. This is not so. We vegans are a product of the world we live in. It is a world in ferment. People are not satisfied with what technology can give them. Thousands, even millions are groping for something more fundamentally sound than modern civilization can offer. They may founder in personal disaster, such as drug addiction, but the desire is there. Modern scientists claim to have destroyed all the myths, but in doing so, it has created its own myth which holds us spellbound, the more so because we do not realise that it is a myth. The myth is that science and technology are objective, above both good and evil. In fact, the new elite, the technocracy, have an immense vested interest, more powerful than any government or any ideaology, because it is not recognised as a power. Scientists have evolved the scientific world view. The heavenly bodies are " nothing b u t " stars and planets, the sun / ' n o t h i n g b u t " a ball of fire, the earth "nothing b u t " a ball spinning in " empty" space, composed of " nothing b u t " chemicals. Nature is " nothing b u t " plants, " nothing b u t " animals, " nothing b u t " human beingsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;when the scientist has reduced everything to the level of subjects to be observed, he 59

becomes " objective ". He is no longer worried by such, matters as ethics or morals. Hence it is allowable to observe anything at all, from the behaviour of atoms to the behaviour of people reacting to atomic warfare. All knowledge is good. Knowledge is to be worshipped above all things. The scientist, says Roszak, regards all myths, rituals, religions, poetry, painting, singing and dancing as a form of madness, to be indulged in only in one's spare time, as an optional, not an integral part of life, which has nothing at all to do with his professional life. The scientific world view is in fact a form of madness far more dangerous than any intuitive view of the world, and has led us to the very brink of total disaster. We need to recover a view of life inspired by reverence and awe. Such a view is expressed in Gurdieff's (pronounced gurdjeef's) book " All and Everything ". Theodore Roszak says that the only way of escape is to drop out, to find a new way of life. We can drop out of the butcher's shop, and the milk round, but we cannot escape entirely from technology. Technology is going to go on developing and affecting all our lives whether we like it or not. Is it not up to us to demand that technology be placed on a sound ethical basis, that it should take second place to morality, to reverence for life, to awe of the grandeur of the forces of nature? Taking part in politics is no solution, for governments may be changed, but technology goes on unchallenged. A challenge to technology is something that cannot be absorbed or neutralised by the establishment, hence the mass media seek to ignore it, to anathematize it, to ridicule it, to render it of no account, like a titbit in the Sunday newspapers. There is one question the book does not answer: can the technocracy, alias Technology, really be tamed, restrained, controlled, reformed, relegated to a position of marginal importance in our lives? Perhaps Theodore Roszak's other book " The Dissenting Academy", New York, Pantheon 1968, has something to say on this, but I have not yet read it. Meanwhile, there are people who are prepared to try to reform technology, prepared to have ethical and moral considerations condition their professional lives. Here are some examples: â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " Science for Peace " an association of scientists, who wish to use their knowledge for humanitarian purposes; also the Society for Social Responsibility in Science, 42 Great Russell Street, London, W.C.I. Peace Research, (the use of scientific techniques to resolve conflict by peaceful means as opposed to violent means) works from the Peace Research Centre at Belgrove House, Belgrove Street, London, N.W.I opposite King's Cross Station. The Lawson Tait Medical and Scientific Research Trust (of 60

51 Harley Street, London, W.l. • Tel.: 01-580 3429), gives grants for replacing vivisectional research with research not based on vivisection. Such grants are scarce, and are eagerly sought after by scientists. The Vegetarian Nutritional Research Centre (Director, Dr. F. Wokes), 1 Ellwood Gardens, Garston, Watford, Herts., which is associated with a technical journal " Plant Foods for Human Nutrition " (Pergamon Press). " The Making of a Counter Culture " gives a lucid and comprehensive account of the real motives and aspirations behind the present social unrest, and the directions in which we should put our energies in trying to makes charges for the better. F.H. " Quick and Easy Menus for using Herbs", by Kathleen Keleney. Charmingly provided with twenty-three drawings of herbs in black-and-white,—so clear that they simply invite colouring by future owners—this book of daily menus for two weeks' meals is a Vegan cookery book with a mask on: the mask being the non-Vegan additions, which however sit.so lightly on the basically Vegan recipes that the directions can easily be " unmasked " by making the following adaptations: — Instead of cheese use ground nuts; instead of butter use Vegan margarine; instead of one egg use 1 teaspoon soya flour, 1 teaspoon arrowroot flour, mixed with two tablespoons of water; instead of milk and yoghourt use Plantmilk; instead of honey use Maple syrup or molasses or Barbados sugar or golden syrup dissolved in a little water. Counting the ones for herb teas, the book contains 163 recipes, of which 87 are Vegan, including such favourites as Vegan Hungarian Ragout and Vegan Ratatouille. The herbs are used with a very light hand,—just a leaf or sprig—giving the gardener-caterer an opportunity to incorporate them in the daily food. And—always generous—Mrs. Keleney throws in a deliciously simple plan for a herb garden that is easily managed and requires only seven square yards or less. Finally, there are a chapter each for the walnut, chestnut, and the hazelnut. The book costs 7/6d. plus 6d. postage, and will be added to our stock. L.D. YOUR

LETTERS

We welcome controversy on any subject relevant to veganism. but claims on space are heavy. Please, therefore, be as brief as possible. Full name and address must be given, although a pseudonym may be provided for publication. Contributions for publication should be typed (or clearly written) on one side of the paper only. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope if return is requested. 61

FUND FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF ANIMALS IN MEDICAL EXPERIMENTS (a Registered Charity) Much concern is currently being expressed at the poisoning of our environment. Dr. Fraser Darling, in his recent Reith Lectures, stresses the need for a more moral approach to the whole subject of Technology. Sir Derrick Dunlop, chairman of the Medicines Commission, has drawn attention to the rising incidence of illnesses resulting from treatment with drugs. It would seem that more reliable methods of research are urgently required, and their propagation is one of the major aims of FRAMEâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;recently registered with the Charity Commission. FRAME could not have come into being at a more opportune time. The Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments is professionally advised and unique in that it has been founded to benefit both humans and animals. It aims to encourage research in this country and elsewhere in the most practical ways so that the use of animals in many medical experiments is replaced toy safer and more ethical methods ; also to stimulate the wider application of existing techniques and to speed their further development. Some techniques are now being developed and they include the use of computers, tissue, cell and organ cultures, and gas chromotography ; very much more work needs to be done, however, to realise the full potential that these methods offer and to make more generally known their present utilisation. Scientists who have used these techniques claim them to be scientifically, economically and ethically superior to those involving animals besides giving much speedier results. The Chief Scientific Adviser, Dr. C. E. Foister, F.R.S.(Edin.), F.I.Biol., M.R.S.H., etc., who has devoted a great deal of time to this movement, was, before his retirement, Director of the Scottish Agricultural Scientific Services in Edinburgh. Further information can be obtained from: Mrs. D. Hegarty, Hon. Secretary, FRAME, 35 Wool Road, Wimbledon Common, London, S.W.20. ALL Plamil products guaranteed vegan

Delicious, yes. And there's protein in it, too. A quality confection from the plantmilk people

Try also Plamil Chocolate, Plamil Pease Pudding (the versatile economic savoury), and, of course, Plamil plantmilk, the vegan ' milk.' Literature from Dept. V., PLANTMILK Ltd., Tithe Farm, High Street, Langley, Slough, Bucks.

FROM THE PAPERS Dangers in Meat A deputy chief public health inspector in Staffs, is pressing for greater observance of existing food hygiene laws. Mr. Matheson cites one instance of a meat-slicing machine used in a catering firm where " well-nourished maggots were found in foul, slimy debris " when the blade was removed. In another restaurant, a slicing machine was only cleaned every six months. He blames staff shortage and " erring local authirities " as reasons why routine food hygiene inspection is not carried out. He wants sterilisation of equipment used in food preparation to be enforced, and recommends that at least one inspector be appointed for every 250 food establishments. —Daily Telegraph. Surely not too much to ask! Pork and Profit Inflators More than 400 tons of antibiotics are used each year in Britain. About 240 tons are prescribed by doctors, the remainder is used for animals and about half of it is included in their food. By stimulating the growth of pigs and chickens with these drugs the producers can increase the cash value of these " foods " by anything from one to three million pounds a year. —Daily Express. But a report, by a panel of nine scientists, says there has been a dramatic increase over the years in the number of strains of intestinal bacteria of animal origin which show resistance to one or more antibiotics. They can also transmit this resistance to other bacteria. It is particularly feared that the, typhoid organism salmonella typhi may develop resistance to the antibiotic considered most effective in its treatment. There is ample and incontrovertible evidence to show that man may become infected with the bacteria by eating food of animal origin. Professor Swann was reported as saying that he thinks the outbreak of gastro-enteritis on Teesside last year in which eleven babies died was probably animal in origin. (From a report from the Joint Committee on the Use of Antibiotics in Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine—known as the Blue Book.) —Evening News. Stuffing animals with antibiotics to make them fatter faster is an unlovely practice. More often than not the housewife 63

does not know, and neither does her butcher, whether or not her Sunday joint comes from a chemically fattened animal. —The Sun. " Talking Pigs " is the heading of an article in The Farmers' Weekly which reflects pleasurable satisfaction at the present upward trend in flesh-eating in this country. We are each purchasing, the Meat and Livestock Commission points out, an average of 23.3 Lbs. of pork per anum compared with 16 lbs. in 1956—despite a price rise of 42%. In the same period our consumption of .bacon has risen by 2 lb. per head of the population. Add to this an extra 12% of poultry meat—which has dropped in price by 33% due to factory farming—and it is easy to see why, in spite of all.their loudly proclaimed " difficulties " meat producers are really quite content. They expect to produce an extra 30,000 tons of beef this year! The continually increasing consumption of flesh foods may account for the frequency with which we notice reports of food poisoning. (We have yet to read of an outbreak of salmonella through eating jacket potatoes or tomato sandwiches or hear a warning about the risks of drinking unboiled Plamil!) We have just learned that the number of pigs exported from this country—for slaughter abroad—continues to rise. In the last quarter of 1969, 27,515 pigs were exported compared with 4,040 during the corresponding period for 1968. More than six times as many! Pork figures also rose, from 861 tons in 1968 to 5,229 tons in the last quarter of 1969. Other Exports Early legislation controlling the export of animals for research was demanded in the House of Lords by Lord Silkin. He wanted exports restricted to countries where the law against cruelty to animals was equivalent to our own. This seems modest enough. Lord Silkin also pointed out that no licence was required for the export of animals for research, and the Government did not even know how many were exported for this purpose each year. Trapped Seals Die Slowly Seals are being snared in underwater nets off the Canadian coast and left to drown, an official observer said yesterday. Mr. Colin Piatt, a field officer for the International Society for the Protection of Animals, has just returned from nine weeks with the Norwegian sealing fleet. He was the Norwegian Government's official observer of the 1970 hunt in international waters off the Canadian coast which closed last month. He said in London: "The nets are set in November—when 64

the cows are carrying pups—to catch the seals as they move south following salmon. " For the seals it's a slow death. " They are fast swimmers at depths of 10 to 15 feet. They are in trouble in minutes if they can't rise to the surface to breathe." —The Sun, Saturday, May 9th, 1970. Warm Weather Hazards Date stamping of pork pies, cream cakes, etc. There are invariably coded punch marks on the wrappings which are changed frequently. Why? Quite obviously to keep the consumer in the dark about the age of the food, for although the manufacturer says that the shelf life of a pork pie is no more than three days after delivery, these have been sold after 20 days in the shop. However, a representative of T. Wall & Sons had this consolation for anybody who buys a mouldy pie: " It is not a danger. Anyone can eat a mouldy pie and not suffer any aftereffects.' —Daily Express. Maybe—nevertheless I think I will stick to apples!

THE NATURE CURE CLINIC for patients of limited means A h u m a n i t a r i a n c h a r i t y , limited b y g u a r a n t e e . Qualified staff c a r r y o u t n a t u r o p a t h i c treatments*, including c o l o n i c i r r i g a t i o n . Patients p a y w h a t they c a n afford ; b u t s o m e f r e e t r e a t m e n t s are given. All prescribed diets are v e g e t a r i a n and n o d r u g s o r p r e p a r a t i o n s of a n i m a l origin are used.

Subscriptions and donations to help this worthwhile work are urgently needed. Particulars and Annual Report from the Secretary,.

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You want to help It sometimes happens that a comment about veganism appears in the press which we do not see. Later one of you will say or write, " Did you see that interesting piece about vegans in one of the papers one day last week? " This is no help whatever. Please, if you read something of interest to vegans, post the cutting on to us, complete with the name of the periodical and the date. If this is not possible, send the details of the paper and the date as soon as you can—we may •be able to get a copy if we do not have it. Should it be a local one, the address will also be necessary. Thank you. E.B.

LETTERS T O THE EDITOR Towards Ahimsa My wife and I have a plan which would offer those vegans taking part a better environment than could be provided by individual efforts. The first step will be to acquire a large house with a good acreage of land. The house would have to be close to a large town as we imagine most people involved would have to earn their incomes. Each person would choose the degree of involvement he would have, the minimal amount being, of course, to rent a room. We hope the property will have sufficient land to provide the food supply for the small community. We are a young family and will add a youthful emphasis to the effort. Having successfully run a vegetarian communal house in Vancouver, Canada, we will use our experience to build up the right formula for this venture. We would be happy to have a letter, or better still a visit, from anyone interested. TONY AND MARILYN EDWARDS.

Peterborough, PE1 2DE. Photography I'd like to comment on two articles—one " article " and one comment, actually—in the April-May Vegan. Mr. Desai's " Fundamental Principles " are most comprehensive, and it is hard to disagree with him on practically anything. However, the rather bleak and impersonal view of religion which he expounds, and in which he is by no means alone, is happily not borne out by the Vision of Adonai which was seen by Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland independently and at different times, and which is graphically described in " The Life of Anna Kingsford " {toy Edward Maitland), and reprinted without the 66

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accompanying earthly description of the surrounding circumstances in " Clothed with the Sun," published by Stuart and Watkins. It seems that this same vision of the eternally young Adonai (the Greek Adonis) has been seen in all its beauty and fulfilment by very advanced souls through the ages. When once one has seen this, one is at least completely satisfied. The second point I would like to make is about photography. I had suspected for a quite a long time that this was not a vegan activity but imagine what it would mean to follow it vegan-wise to its logical conclusion—we could buy no illustrated books or magazines or newspapers. The best way to tackle the problem is surely to start research on a vegan process of photography—Culture Without Cruelty. There must be alternative methods of photography to those nonvegan ones at present in use. Are there any vegan or other scientists who can help us out of this dilemma? St. Leonards-on-Sea. LINDA MARCH. [Mrs. March is right in thinking that, due to the reliance placed on animals and animal products in our present civilisation, it is probably impossible to follow anything to a logical conclusion vegan-wise. We could not ride in a public conveyance in case it had wool in the upholstery, yet this should not be made an excuse for making sure that anything we buy—a car, for instance—is free of any such non-vegan parts. Much as I, too, would like to see some photographs in The Vegan, I feel the decision not to add to the consumption of animal products in this way is a right one. After all, we have, in the past, had to " d o without" much more than photography! The suggestion that research should be undertaken to find a humane alternative is an excellent one ; perhaps we have someone in our ranks able to do this?—E.B.] Blood Donors Harry Bonnie—letter, The Vegan, Summer, 1969—may be comforted to know that those of us who have had much experience of treating the very ill in hospitals without drugs or blood transfusions can vouch for the fact that they not only do not die but are restored to health without the side effects that are such a feature of drug therapy and modern methods generally. I would have thought that a vegan would have some knowledge of herbs and their usages and a little more faith in and knowledge of, the Power that resides within, that alone can heal. Mr. Bonnie should know that veganism in raising the consciousness of the subject, thereby increasing his " frequency," would render his state incompatible with that of drugs which are of a very low frequency. Also the blood stream carries the consciousness; would he like to have the consciousness of another injected into his bloodstream? 68

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Those of us who are esoteric astrologers are also aware of the many different states of growth and experience between individuals, the many aspects of the " consciousness " that cannot be analysed and separated out and " grouped" by laboratory methods. Mr. Bonnie must have read that those patients who receive transplants have for ever to take drugs that suppress the desire of the body to reject the alien and incompatible tissues of another, thereby also lowering the body's natural resistance. Surrey. EILEEN HENDERSON, S.R.N., S.C.M., M.C.S.P. [There are not many things in life that one can be certain of. So it follows that most arguments are a matter of personal feeling. In the case of vegans involved in argument, their main consideration must be compassion. And so, looking at the giving and the receiving of blood, there doesn't appear to be anything unethical about it. As regards drugs, a person would be extremely lucky not to have to use them at some time in his life, for, say, the resetting of bones or extraction of teeth, etc. London.

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The Record Straight As you have published my letter about Pregnancy Tests I shall be grateful if you will also publish this one. The mere thought of laboratory animals is so totally abhorrent and horrible to me that to see their use put forward in The Vegan magazine as a possibility for vegans sent me " off the deep end " and I wrote accordingly. However on calm consideration and re-perusal I appreciate that Frances Howard went to considerable trouble to find out what these tests involved for the animals concerned and it is evident my harsh words " callous and contemptible"' were untrue and very unfair to her. I wish, therefore, to withdraw these offensive expressions and to say that I am sorry for any unpleasant feelings they may have caused her. As to the Tests, they are so plainly out-of-bounds to vegans that I don't know what more can be usefully said on the subject. Arundel. CHARLES POUNDS. Teenage Problem From October (1970)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;June (1971) I shall be attending London University in Malet Street for a Certificate of Education, and it is necessary for me to find accommodation. I am unable to stay at the various halls of residence nearby as they do not accept vegetarians (this is because meals are included in the fees). A bedsitter with cooking facilities (which can be a very lonely place when one is in a strange town) appears to be the only alternative, unless a vegan/vegetarian family can 70

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come to my aid. Being a sociable person I would much prefer to live with people who understand my " idiosyncracies " than alone in a bedsitter. Perhaps one or two of your London readers with an empty spare room, might be able to help me. It doesn't matter if the house is out of the centre of London, as long as I am within daily reach of Malet Street, W.C.I. Any advice gratefully received. Please contact: Miss ANGIE C. WRIGHT, Goodricke College, University of York, Heslington, York. German Address In answer to my request you sent me a list of addresses of vegetarian restaurants in Europe; thank you kindly. A lovely vegetarian place at which my family and I have eaten many a time, and which, I think, should be added to your list is Schubert's, Alster-Arkaden, Hamburg, Germany. It is just a few minutes walk from the main railroad station (Hauptbahnhof) and has been there for years. New Jersey, U . S . A . EDWARD NIEMANN. [Readers may be interested to see the two extracts below from letters in a recent issue of the New Statesman.—EDITOR.] D.R.B.'s warning to intending vegans (vegetarians who go further by avoiding dairy produce) may cause undue alarm: Plamil, a plant-milk on sale at most health-food stores, contains vitamin B12. To condemn veganism as " very unnatural"—and in broiler-Britain at that—is odd. There is evidence that in domesticating natural bovines man has altered their body-fats and, througn eating them, his own, probably detrimentally. Deficiency diseases are not uncommon among meat-eaters in the U.K. London.

ALAN LONG.

Your Dublin correspondent D.R.B. is ignorant, and the publication of his letter by you only serves to spread his ignorance. Firstly, the vegan diet does not lack vitamin B12. Many vegan foods are fortified with the vitamin. Barmene yeast extract and Granogen soya milk are but two examples. Secondly, BI2 is synthesised in the intestines, particularly well when no flesh foods are eaten. Many Indians, who are life vegans, do not suffer from diseases of the central nervous system, even though their B1:. serum level is not as high as that found in the average West European. Vegans are usually so thoughtful about their diet that to suggest injections and tablets are essential is nonsense. The vegan diet is not so unnatural as D.R.B. may think. Flesh-eating animals have short bowels to aid rapid expulsion of toxic waste— man has a long bowel, in common with other non-meat eating animals. Guy's Hospital, S . E . I . DENIS COBELL. 72

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