The father of modern American Vegetarianism is the same guy who gave us the notion that masturbation leads to blindness. Sylvester Graham, 1794 -1851, argued that eating meat was as great a sin as drinking alcohol and a simple diet of grains and plants would ensure impure thoughts would not plague the mind. One of his big ideas was that meat functioned as a sexual stimulant, which, of course, was very bad. This enraged American butchers and the medical community who understood the value of protein. To Graham, stimulation of any kind was anathema, so cold baths, hard mattresses and drinking of water was a path to moral and physical salvation. We remember him today for a still-popular product, indeed one you may have eaten. You’re not going to believe its original purpose.
© 2024 John Oliver
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