1856 - The Philosophy of the Stomach, or An Exclusively Animal Diet (Without any Vegetable or Condiment Whatever) is the Most Wholesome and Fit for Man by Bernard Moncriff

A diet corresponding to Parry’s recommendations was actually followed for a long period by a resident of Birkenhead called Bernard Moncriff, who left a complete record of his experiment in a book entitled The Philosophy of the Stomach, or An Exclusively Animal Diet (Without any Vegetable or Condiment Whatever) is the Most Wholesome and Fit for Man (1856). Taking his lead from Cornaro (see pages 36-7) he decided to limit his meals to cold roast beef, and originally also two quarts of milk (‘good country milk’), the yolk of one egg, and some sweet almonds, as his daily ration of food and drink. In six months, he tells us, he had become much healthier and had lost 20lb from his original 154lb (which, according to a modern table of heights and weights, is about 12lb overweight for his declared height of 5ft 5in). Having maintained the diet for the full six months, Moncriff decided it was too rich, and eliminated the egg, almonds, and half the milk.

Some of his conclusions are extremely interesting: on this restricted diet he perspired very little despite regular exercise, and found that he needed little more fluid than the pint of milk provided. On the other hand, if he ventured to eat bread or potatoes, he became thirsty, and his intake of fluids increased greatly. After about a year on this monotonous diet, he found that he had lost the taste for almost all highly-flavoured food and drink—wines, beer, coffee, tea, and ‘salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, apples, pears, and some of the most fashionable “fish-sauces” which happened to be in my possession. Even honey and sugar had lost much of their attraction for my palate’.

— Terence McLaughlin, If You Like It, Don’t Eat It