The Influence of Food on Moral and Physical Development in British India *An address given to the Central Welfare Clinic workers.

I am going to attack the sacred edifice of the modern mother's castle, and what I am going to say to you is of such great importance to yourselves, your children, and those for whom you do social work that I trust you will forgive me if I am outspoken. Alexander Pope two hundred years ago wrote that the proper study of mankind is jnan; but I think if he lived to-day he would have written " the proper study of mankind !s woman"; for surely it is a wonderful example of the privileged illogicality of women, and a symbol of their sub-conscious sadistic cynicism that they are willing to see a vast amount of ill-health without raising a nngerto alleviate it, or attempting to discover its origin. You remember that during the great War between 1914 and 1918 the manhood of the nation was conscripted. It was then found that one-third of this manhood was what we describe as C. 3, i.e., diseased or defective. What was the cause of this? Was it our sanitation 0r our housing? No, for it is a well known maxim that man can thrive under any circumstances provided his food supply is good. Was it our women who had failed to follow the dictates and laws of nature? Yes. Was it indirectly due to ignorance and laziness on the part of our doctors or social Workers? Yes. Was it due to silence on the part of our Pulpits and press? Yes, for not until it was too late was it realised that the era of this C. 3 Population exactly coincided with the genesis of patent milk foods, bottled fruits and tinned meats. The War broke out in 1914; the canned food era began seriously in 1894; but the War nas at least taught us that the white man s curse is the predatory capitalist who preys 011 your credulity, ignorance and innocence, ^nd broadcasts lies and flatulent nonsense on tlns and hoardings which every mother accepts as gospel truth. Verily a universal psycho-analysis is neces?ary for a state of mind that can be hypnotised _yjijtin or a hoarding, for such a state of mind infers an inferiority complex, " a spare-thetrouble and spoil-the-child complex" which time and the War have proved utterly unworthy.