A Lecture on Epidemic Diseases (1838)

AUTHOR: Graham, Sylvester

The book promotes the Graham system as best remedy for epidemic diseases. As the editor's “Introduction to the Second Edition” points out, Graham's lecture provides “practical precepts and rules for the guidance of persons afflicted with every form of disease, as well as of those who are in the enjoyment of good health, and desire to preserve it” (iii). The second edition also contains Graham's review of Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion (1833). The editor emphasizes that “the truth of Mr. Graham's views” has been “powerfully confirmed” (iv), even though Graham was “reasoning purely from the symptoms of the living subject, according to his own physiological and pathological views” (vi). In the “Advertisement to the First Edition” that precedes the lecture, Graham recounts the hostile reactions to his teachings (particularly abstention from meat and alcohol) shortly before and during the 1832 cholera outbreak in New York. According to Graham, the public, including reputable physicians, maintained that “all his followers were dead or dying with the Cholera. This cry was kept up through the whole season of sickness, in order to destroy all the confidence of the people in my doctrines, and drive them to flesh-eating, and brandy and wine-drinking” (viii). As it turns out, Graham writes, “the doctrines of this Lecture have been ... entirely confirmed by the whole history of the cholera in this country up to the present moment.” What is more, they are applicable to “all epidemic, chronic, and acute diseases” (viii). The doctrines are based on the Graham system and in addition to general cleanliness, chastity, fresh air, and exercise, they include the following dietetic suggestions:

• reliance on “Indian-meal gruel, or rice water, or coarse unbolted wheat meal gruel, or wheat bran tea, without any seasoning” (40)
• a simple diet of “good, sweet, well-baked, coarse, stale bread [...] using no butter nor any thing else with it, and no other drink but his gruel or good soft water” (41)
• ripe, “mild fruits of the season” (58)
• in severe cases of diarrhea, “a gentle dose of castor oil or of rhubarb and calcined magnesia; or … rhubarb and calomel” (42)
• abstention from “exasperating stimulants and deadly narcotics” (39), such as tobacco, alcohol, opium, tea, coffee, etc.
• abstention from pastry and sweets (58)
• abstention from “animal food”; those who “cannot leave it off entirely at once, without feeling the want of it exceedingly, may eat a little boiled or roasted beef or mutton once a day, without any made gravy, and without any seasoning but a little salt: and no second course or dessert of puddings, pies, fruits, &c. should be taken after it” (58)
• no soups, “especially flesh soups” (58)
• no condiments (58)

Overall, “[a] plain, simple, nourishing vegetable diet is decidedly most conducive to permanent health and longevity. It is less stimulating, and therefore, does not wear out the susceptibilities and energies of the living tissues so rapidly, nor does it tend so powerfully to produce chronic and acute disease of any kind, as a free use of animal food. Hence it is in all respects a safer diet, during the prevalence of malignant and epidemic diseases, – and especially such as have their seat in the alimentary canal” (59).

Last updated on September 19th, 2024

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