Not 2, not 3 but 10.9 a week!

A ‘bowels-oriented’ post

Ernest Bell Library item – a 1907 postcard, indirectly insulting us British veg[etari]ans – ……but (as always) we get the last laugh – our vegan bowels / bellies / guts / innards / interiors / intestines / recesses…… call them what you will …… – are (on average) as clean as whistles & in (well above average) working order.

Vegetarian: “I don’t care WHAT happens, I WILL have another plate of prunes.”

The male vegetarian, is banging his right fist on the table in frustration, demanding another serving of prunes.

We can imagine that the table waitress had just told him that he had eaten enough prunes already.

He does not care about any potential ‘below the waist’ consequences. He simply wants to eat more prunes!

British prune aficionados will completely ‘get’ the humor / the point!

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Some ‘positive’ prune history

‘Non-vegan prune buyers’ greatly helped the cash-flow of early UK wholefood shops of the 1960s / 70s / 80s – ……we sold the most excellent prunes!

‘Blocked Brits’ would stream into our shops ‘as regularly as clockwork’ to buy their prunes – ……so that they could ‘go as regularly as clockwork’!

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British Euphemisms and Witticisms for – ‘Constipation’ – source

Backed up

Blocked up

Bunged up

Full of bricks

Plugged up

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Prune Slang – not appreciated by producers of ‘dried plums’!

a prune = someone who either directly or indirectly prevents people from having fun. / ……an ill-tempered and unpleasant person. / ……a dull, uninteresting, or foolish person.  

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The cartoon was drawn by Starr Wood (1870 – 1944) – AKA – ‘The Snark’ – a self taught artist who first worked as a Chartered Accountant in a debt-collecting business in the City (London, UK). After his first drawing was published in 1892, he turned freelance cartoonist, contributing to many publications including Chums, Fun, Judy, Chips, Parade, John Bull, Bystander, Humorist, Passing Show, Tatler, Strand and Punch from 1898 until 1935.

carrots à la mode = carrots according to the fashion – or – stylish carrots.

snark = noun sense of “snide remarks” derived from ‘snarky’.

snide = unkind or insulting in an indirect way.

Perhaps Starr Wood believed in overt & bloody – m[e]a[t]sculinity?

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……the back of the postcard.

The card was sent to – James Bartlett Russell – in 1910.

“Jim,” as he was best known to friends and business associates, was one of the first Lowellites to learn the game of baseball and always retained his interest in it. He was a prominent member of St. Anne’s Episcopal church.

A patron of the arts, a clever pen and ink sketcher and a lover of music, time never lagged in Mr. Russell’s life, for his interests were so many and so varied that he never wanted for something to do.

James Bartlett Russell was born on June 5, 1850, at 59 Nesmith street, where he lived all of his life, the son of James Sullivan Russell and Elizabeth Chapin Russell. – more.

Starr Wood art sales – Sotheby’s.

Starr Wood art for sale – Political Cartoon Society.

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MORE ABOUT BOWEL MOVEMENTS

A news article aimed mainly at ‘non-vegan Brits’

~ A digested guide to perfect digestion: Experts reveal how to relieve common symptoms – with some very surprising advice ~

Excerpt –

~ We are a nation obsessed with our guts. From bloating to bowel issues, an estimated nine million of us have problems with our digestive systems. ~ – the full article

Wiser doctors would have simply said – “Switch to a wholefood vegan diet – now.”

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‘The’ term to memorise – complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM)

US news article –

Dried Plums (Prunes) Shown More Effective Than Psyllium in Treating Constipation

 Psyllium seed husks, also known as ispaghula, isabgol, or psyllium – Wiki – photo – Bastique (Cary Bass) – own work

Excerpt –

~ Forty adult constipated subjects (males and females, mean age = 38 years) were enrolled in an eight week, single-blind, randomized cross-over study. Participants received a total of 6 grams of fiber from either 50 grams of dried plums (about 5-6) eaten twice a day or 11 grams of psyllium (1 tablespoon psyllium) taken in water twice a day for 3 weeks each, in a cross-over trial with a one-week washout period. Subjects maintained a daily symptom and stool diary to help assess the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements per week (CSBM, the primary outcome measure), global relief of constipation, stool consistency and straining. Tolerability and taste of the fiber and dried plums were also assessed by the subjects.

The number of CSBM’s per week and stool consistency scores improved significantly.

Citing literature on the prevalence of constipation, Dr. Rao commented: “Constipation is a common problem that affects up to 20 percent of the world’s population. Nearly 60 million Americans suffer from chronic constipation. Many people are looking for a natural, food-based solution to over-the-counter laxatives and fiber supplements. We were pleased that our research demonstrated that dried plums are safe, palatable and more effective than psyllium for the treatment of mild to moderate constipation.” ~ – much more!

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Prune statistics –  in the news in Britain – 2013!

~ ……Britain has imported an extra half a million tonnes from California. ~

~ ……our association of the prune with a constipated pensioner wasn’t actually the best selling point in the first place. ~

~ The word prune’s connotations are so negative that the world’s biggest supplier no longer even uses it. The California Prune Board rebranded its beloved snack as “dried plums” 13 (now 15) years ago, becoming the California Dried Plum Board in the process. As they put it: “Why the name change? Because 90% of consumers told us that they’d be more likely to enjoy the fruit if it were called a dried plum instead of a prune.” ~

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Dugald Semple eating prunes – 

~ My first meal is about 8 a.m., when I eat an apple or pear, finishing with a little dish of soaked raisins or other dried fruit. Then I deal with my correspondence and get busy writing until about noon. It is then time for dinner, which usually consists first of a few ounces of flaked nuts, a large helping of raw salad, baked potatoes in their skins, and to finish, a few dates or prunes with nut cream. After dinner I rest a little or read the papers, then do some work in the garden for most of the afternoon. ~ – Dugald Semple – writing in the 1950s

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Prunes for prisoners –

~ VEGAN ESSENTIALS
It is recommended that the following be provided each week:

3½ litres fortified soya milk (in order to provide sufficient calcium and B12)
200g (7 oz) mixed nuts and seeds (consisting of 1 brazil nut or 100g sunflower seeds/day to provide selenium, and 6 walnut halves/day to provide omega-3)
250g (9 oz) mixed dried fruit (raisins, dates, prunes etc)
250g (9 oz) oats (for use as a muesli base)
14-21 pieces of fruit (including 3 bananas/week and at least one citrus fruit/day) ~ – Vegan Prisoners Support Group (VPSG) 

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Links to some great images

Prunes and their juice contain mild laxatives including phenolic compounds (mainly as neochlorogenic acids and chlorogenic acids) and sorbitol. Prunes also contain dietary fiber (about 7%, or 0.07 g per gram of prune). Prunes and prune juice are thus common home remedies for constipation…… – Wiki.

Explore the natural beauty of California Dried Plum orchards, and follow prunes’ journey from plum to package, in our downloadable photo gallery.

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Not two, not three but 10.9 a week!

Pro-Prune / Pro-Vegan Propaganda from Dr. Michael Greger

Prunes vs. Psyllium AKA Metamucil vs. Vegan Diet

DESCRIPTION: The average number of bowel movements a week is compared between those eating prunes, those taking a fiber supplement, and those eating a strictly plant-based diet.

Dr Greger’s prune Q & A Zone  http://nutritionfacts.org/video/prunes-vs-metamucil-vs-vegan-diet/

Myself, 1177 times in 108 weeks.Feeling very happy today for the confirmation that I am a completely ‘average’ person – yippee! (jesting slightly here)

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Our Projects

The Henry Salt Archive is one of our, almost completed, projects.

The Humanitarian League is our Hong Kong registered charity.

The goal of our library project is to share our history (however silly!) with as many people as possible.

……and none of us here are overly concerned about health.

~ Vegetarianism is not …… based merely on the hygienic argument that flesh-foods are not conducive to health: the main reason for the reform is that it would put an end to a vast amount of animal suffering. The flesh-eater flatters himself overmuch in supposing that it is primarily his own ailments that cause us such concern: it is the awful cruelties which he inflicts on his victims that chiefly makes us desire a reform—a desire, be it noted, which is urged on public grounds, and not pressed on individuals. ~ – Henry S. Salt in his essay – A Little Knowledge – in – The Vegetarian News, Vol. 8 No. 95, November 1928

ADVICE – STOP READING HERE & GO TO ANOTHER SECTION OF HAPPYCOW!

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Very few ‘non-Brits’ born after 1960 will comprehend this next part……

WARNING – THIS SECTION IS IN VERY BAD TASTE & MANY FOLK WILL FIND IT OFFENSIVE –

Source

……AND PRUNES DO NOT GET A SINGLE MENTION.

It is very far indeed from being PC etc….

Political correctness or political correctitude (adjectivally, politically correct; both forms commonly abbreviated to PC) is an attitude or policy of being careful not to offend or upset any group of people in society who are believed to have a disadvantage.

……but if you are thick-skinned & like a giggle & some 1970s flashbacks – then carry on.

It focuses on –

•  OCD ironing.

• laxative breakfast cereals.

• bowel movements.

• ‘Elsan’ transportable chemical toilets.

• the British addiction to football.

• the British addiction to ‘baked beans’ – tinned haricot beans in tomato sauce.

• 1970s British Liberalism.

• the right wing newspaper ‘The Sun’.

• racism / anti-fascism.

• the threat of war with China. In 1973 the US and the PRC established the United States Liaison Offices (USLO) in Beijing and in Washington, DC. Only in 1979 did they formally establish embassies in each other’s capitals – this was Deng Xiaoping’s time.

• Faye Dunaway – ‘Chinatown’ .

• worshipping colonialism.

• Ian Smith / Southern Rhodesia struggling to become the Republic of Zimbabwe.

The Garibaldi family of Droitwich in Worcestershire, UK – contestants in the competition for the – ‘Most Awful Family in Britain, 1974. The competition was sponsored by ‘Heart-Attacko Margarine’.

……Mr Garibaldi is eating a packet of ‘Ano-Weet’. On the back of the packet in big letters it reads ‘Free Inside – The Pope + Demonstration Record’.

Kevin Garibaldi is stretched out the whole length of the sofa, eating a huge plate of baked beans.

His father occasionally flaps the copy of the paper he is reading at him to clear the air. The paper is called ‘The Scum’ and has a pin-up on the front page with big headline ‘What a Searcher! Phew! Can Resist this Miss’; at the bottom of the page in small print ‘China Declares War’. The banner across top reads ‘In the Scum Today ‘Tits and Inflation’ ‘.

Ralph Garibaldi is sitting at the table eating. At one point he stretches across the table, and his arm sticks in the butter. He tries to clean it off and knocks the sugar over.

There is a large photo of lan Smith on the wall; built around it is a plaster shrine, with flowers in front of it.

Mrs Garibaldi is ironing. She irons some underclothes, then she irons a transistor radio.

Dotted about the room are a flat telephone, a flat standard lamp, and a flat cat.

Valerie Garibaldi is wearing a shiny red miniskirt. She has bright yellow ‘beehive’ hair so stiffly lacquered that it is quite a hazard to various ornaments on the mantelpiece. She is continuously making herself up in the mantelpiece mirror which is shaped like a lavatory seat.

The other member of the family is a very fat old dog.

As we see all this, the football commentary is droning throughout on the radio. – full script.

Monty Python – Episode 45; aired 5 December 1974; recorded 16 November 1974

I believe that this is the only time that the Monty Python team ever reviewed veg[etari]an breakfast cereals.

Mr Garibaldi (played by Terry Jones) is ‘reviewing’ / remembering 4 laxative-effect breakfast cereals.

1. Ano-Weet – “I like this Ano-Weet, it really unclogs me.”

2. Recto-Puffs – “I mean a lot of others say they unclog you, but I never had a single bowel movement with the Recto-Puffs.”

3. Wilkinson’s Number 8 Laxative Cereal – “No, the stuff I liked was that stuff they gave us before the war, what was it – Wilkinson’s Number 8 Laxative Cereal. Phew. That one went through you like a bl&&dy Ferrari…”

4. Go-Eazi – “Do you remember ‘Go-Eazi’? They were hopeless… little black pellets… tasted foul and stuck inside you like flooring adhesive.”

In Full – Monty Python – Episode 45; aired 5 December 1974; recorded 16 November 1974

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