The Story of our Health Message

The Use of Butter

He referred to the experiments and observations of Dr. William Beaumont. Dr. Beaumont’s opportunities as physician to Alexis St. Martin, the French Canadian soldier whose stomach was opened by a gunshot wound, were unique. After quoting this doctor regarding the difficulties in digestion of butter and other animal fats, Mr. Graham concluded: SHM 198.4

“The point is, therefore, forever established beyond all controversy, that butter is better avoided than eaten by mankind. ... Diseases of every kind, both acute and chronic, are aggravated by it, though it may produce no distress nor sensible disturbance in the stomach. The delicate and feeble and inactive suffer more from it than the robust. And children and youth are always more injured by it than healthy adults.”—Ibid. SHM 198.5

Graham was very positive in his assertion that no butter should be used except that which was perfectly sweet and recently made from the milk of healthy cows. He maintained that even this should be used very sparingly if at all, and never in the melted form. SHM 199.1

This recognition of the dangers incident to the free use of butter was agreed to, as Graham intimates, by practically all the hygienists of that time. SHM 199.2

It should be remembered that in those days there was no refrigeration or pasteurization, and that all animal products very quickly became subject to bacterial infection. Under such conditions no one can consistently deny that raw butter was very likely to contain tuberculosis and other harmful germs. Butter was used very freely in frying. Moreover, it was not uncommon for large quantities of butter to be used in gravies and sauces and cakes and desserts, all eaten at the same meal. Such free and excessive use in cooking was justly condemned by the health reformers of those days. SHM 199.3