MR BANTING'S CURE.*
[* "A Letter on Corpulence, addressed to the Public." By William Banting, Sen.,
late of St. James's Street, Piccadilly, now of Kensington. Third Edition.
Harrison. The present article has had the advantage of revision by Mr. Banting,
who has inserted the results of his most recent experience. The Editor can
attest the general efficacy of the system. Having suffered from sedentary
labour, he reduced himself in one month, by diet and regimen, 7lbs. 2 oz., or
more than half a stone. He did not follow strictly Mr. Banting's plan, to some
of the details of which more than necessary importance is attributed; but in
the main it agrees with the ordinary rules for training. Lean meat, especially
broiled mutton, fish, green vegetables, toasted or "pulled" bread, are the
staple articles of food with claret or sherry and water for drink, and tea with
little or no sugar and milk. The more exercise the better, and especially early
in the morning before breakfast. The minute vessels of nutrition are at that
time keen set, and, till food is supplied from without, they will employ
themselves in abstracting the superfluous stores in the body. This early
exercise trainers know to be quite as important as diet. Being hurtful, however,
to some constitutions, medical advice should be first obtained.]
I AM now nearly sixty-six years of age, about five feet five inches in stature,
and, in August (1862), weighed 202 lbs.
Few men have led a more active life - bodily or mentally - from a
constitutional anxiety for regularity, precision, and order, during fifty years'
business career, from which I have now retired; so that my corpulence and
subsequent obesity were not through neglect of necessary bodily activity, nor
from excessive eating, drinking, or self-indulgence of any kind.
None of my family on the side of either parent had any tendency to
corpulence, and from my earliest years I had an inexpressible dread of such a
calamity; so, when I was between thirty and forty years of age, finding a
tendency to it creeping upon me, I consulted an eminent surgeon, now long
deceased - a kind personal friend - who recommended increased bodily exertion
before my ordinary daily labours began, and thought rowing an excellent plan. I
had the command of a good, heavy, safe boat, lived near the river, and adopted
it for a couple of hours in the early morning. It is true I gained muscular
vigour, but with it a prodigious appetite, which I was compelled to indulge, and
consequently increased in weight, until my kind old friend advised me to forsake
the exercise.
He soon afterwards died, and, as the tendency to corpulence remained, I
consulted other high medical authorities (never any inferior adviser), but all
in vain. I have tried sea air and bathing in various localities, with much
walking exercise; taken gallons of physic and liquor potassae, advisedly and
abundantly; tried riding on horseback ; the waters and climate of Leamington
many times, as well as those of Cheltenham and Harrogate frequently; have lived
upon sixpence a day, so to speak, and earned it, if bodily labour may be so
construed; and have spared no trouble nor expense in consultations with the best
authorities in the land, giving each and all a fair time for experiment, without
any permanent remedy, as the evil still gradually increased.
I am under obligations to most of those advisers for the pains and interest
they took in my case, but only to one for an effectual remedy.
When a corpulent man eats, drinks, and sleeps well, has no pain to an of
complain , and no particular organic disease, the judgment of able men seems
paralyzed; for I have been generally informed that corpulence is one of the
natural results of increasing years: indeed, one of the ablest authorities as a
physician in the land told me he had gained 1 lb. in weight every year since he
attained manhood, and was not surprised at my condition, but advised more bodily
exercise, vapour-baths and shampooing, in addition to the medicine given. Yet
the evil still increased, and, like the parasite barnacles on a ship, if it did
not destroy the structure, it obstructed its fair, comfortable progress in the
path of life.
I have been in dock, perhaps twenty times in as many years, for the
reduction of this disease, and with little good effect—none lasting. Any one so
afflicted is often subject to public remark ; and though in conscience he may
care little about it, I am confident no man labouring under obesity can be quite
insensible to the sneers and remarks of the cruel and injudicious in public
assemblies, public vehicles, or the ordinary street traffic, nor to the
annoyance of finding no adequate space in a public assembly if he should seek
amusement or need refreshment ; and therefore he naturally keeps away as much as
possible from places where he is likely to be made the object of the taunts and
remarks of others. I am as regardless of public remark as most men ; but I have
felt these difficulties, and therefore avoided such circumscribed accommodation
and notice, and by that means have been deprived of many advantages to health
and comfort.
Although no very great size or weight, still I could not stoop to tie my
shoe, so to speak, nor attend to the little offices humanity requires, without
considerable pain and difficulty, which only the corpulent can understand. I
have been compelled to go down stairs slowly backwards, to save the jar of
increased weight upon the ankle and knee joints, and been obliged to puff and
blow with every slight exertion, particularly that of going up stairs. I have
spared no pains to remedy this by low living (moderation and light food was
generally prescribed, but I had no direct bill of fare to know what was really
intended), and that, consequently, brought the system into a low impoverished
state, without decreasing corpulence, caused many obnoxious boils to appear, and
two rather formidable carbuncles, for which I was ably operated upon and fed
into increased obesity.
At this juncture (about three years back) Turkish baths became the fashion,
and I was advised to adopt them as a remedy. With the first few I found immense
benefit in power and elasticity for walking exercise; so, believing I had found
the "philosopher's stone," pursued them three times a week till had taken fifty,
then less frequently (as I began to fancy, with some reason, that so many
weakened my constitution), till I had taken ninety, but never succeeded in
losing more than 6 lbs. weight daring the whole course, And I gave up the plan
as worthless ; though I have full belief in their cleansing properties, and
their value in colds, rheumatism, and many other ailments.
After consulting many physicians in vain, I found the right man, by whom I
was advised to abstain as much as possible from bread, butter, milk, sugar,
beer, and potatoes, which had been the main (and, I thought, innocent) elements
of my existence, or at all events they had for many years been adopted freely.
These, said my excellent adviser, Mr. W. Harvey, contain starch and
saccharine matter, tending to crate fat, and should be avoided. At the first
blush it seemed to me that I had little left to live upon; but my kind friend
soon showed me there was ample, and I was only too happy to give the plan a fair
trial, and, within a very few days, found immense benefit from it. It may better
elucidate the dietary plan if I describe generally what I have sanction to take;
and that man must be an extra- ordinary person who would desire a better table
:-
For breakfast I take four or five ounces of beef mutton, kidneys, broiled
fish, bacon, or cold meat of any kind except pork; a large cup of tea (without
milk or sugar), a little biscuit, or one ounce of dry toast.
For dinner, five or six ounces of any fish except salmon; herrings, and
eels, any meat except pork and veal, any vegetable except potato and other
vegetable roots, one ounce of dry toast, fruit out of a pudding, any kind of
poultry or game, and two or three glasses of good claret, sherry, or madeira—champagne,
port, and beer forbidden. Green vegetables should be selected at all times. Eggs
and cheese may be sparingly used, and are not absolutely forbidden.
For tea, two or three ounces of fruit, a rusk or two, and a cup of tea
without milk or sugar.
For supper, three or four ounces of meat or fish, similar to dinner, with a
glass or two of claret.
For nightcap, if requires, a tumbler of grog (gin, whisky, or brandy,
without sugar), or a glass or two of claret or sherry.
This plan leads to an excellent night's rest, with from six to eight hours'
sound sleep. The dry toast or rusk may have a tablespoonful of spirit to soften
it, which. will prove acceptable. Perhaps I did not wholly escape starchy or
saccharine matter, but scrupulously avoided milk, sugar, beer, butter, etc.
On rising in the morning I take a tablespoonful of a special corrective
(alkaline), prescribed by my medical adviser, in a wineglass of water, a most
grateful draught, as it seems to carry away all the dregs left in the stomach
after digestion, but is not aperient ; then I take about five or six ounces
solid and eight of liquid for breakfast ; eight ounces of solid and eight of
liquid for dinner; three ounces of solid and eight of liquid for tea; four
ounces of solid and six of liquid for supper, and the grog afterwards, if I
please. I am not, hoverer, strictly limited to any quantity at either meal, so
that the nature of the food is rigidly adhered to.
I do not recommend every corpulent man to rush headlong into such a change
of diet, but to act advisedly and after full consultation with a physician.
My former dietary table was bread and milk for breakfast, or a pint of tea
with plenty of milk and sugar, and buttered toast ; meat, beer, much bread (of
which I was always very fond), and pastry for dinner ; the meal of tea similar
to that of breakfast, and generally a fruit tart or bread and milk for supper. I
had little comfort and far less sound sleep.
I can conscientiously assert I never lived so well as under the new plan of
dietary, which I should have formerly thought a dangerous, extravagant trespass
upon health ; I am very much better, bodily and mentally, and pleased to believe
that I hold the reins of health and comfort in my own hand; and though at
sixty-six years of age I cannot expect to remain free from some coming natural
infirmity that all flesh is heir to, I can. not at the present time complain of
one.
My weight is reduced 46 lbs. ; and as the very gradual reductions which I am
able to show may be interesting to many, I have great pleasure in stating them,
believing they serve to demonstrate further the merit of the system pursued.
Total loss of weight: 46lbs.
My girth is reduced round the waist, in tailor phraseology,12¼ inches ; which extent was hardly conceivable even by my own friends, or my respected medical adviser, until I put on my former clothing over what I now wear, which was a thoroughly convincing proof of the remarkable change. These important desiderata have been attained by the most easy and comfortable means, with but little medicine, and almost entirely by a system of diet that formerly I should have thought dangerously generous. I am told by all who know me that my personal appearance is greatly improved, and that I seem to bear the stamp of good health. This may be a matter of opinion or friendly remark, but I can honestly assert that I feel restored in health, "bodily and mentally," appear to have more muscular power and vigour, eat and drink with a good appetite, and sleep well. All symptoms of faintness, of acidity, indigestion, and heartburn (with which I was frequently tormented) have vanished.[* The following tabular statement in regard to weight as proportioned to
stature may be interesting and useful to corpulent readers:-
STATURE | WEIGHT | |||
5 feet 1 | should be | 8 stone 8 | or | 120lbs. |
5 feet 2 | " | 9 stone 0 | " | 126lbs. |
5 feet 3 | " | 9 stone 7 | " | 133lbs. |
5 feet 4 | " | 9 stone 10 | " | 136lbs. |
5 feet 5 | " | 10 stone 2 | " | 142lbs. |
5 feet 6 | " | 10 stone 5 | " | 145lbs. |
5 feet 7 | " | 10 stone 8 | " | 148lbs. |
5 feet 8 | " | 11 stone 1 | " | 155lbs. |
5 feet 9 | " | 11 stone 8 | " | 162lbs. |
5 feet 10 | " | 12 stone 1 | " | 169lbs. |
5 feet 11 | " | 12 stone 6 | " | 174lbs. |
6 feet 0 | " | 12 stone 10 | " | 178lbs. |
Leisure Hour, 1864
see also Alfred Rosling Bennett's London and Londoners - click here