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FLETCHERISM: WHAT IT IS


HORACE FLETCHER'S WORKS


 THE A.B.-Z. OF OUR OWN NUTRITION. Thirty-fourth thousand. 462 pp.

 THE NEW MENTICULTURE; OR, THE A-B-C OF TRUE LIVING. Fifty-third
 thousand. 310 pp.

 THE NEW GLUTTON OR EPICURE; OR, ECONOMIC NUTRITION. Eighteenth
 thousand. 344 pp.

 HAPPINESS AS FOUND IN FORETHOUGHT MINUS FEARTHOUGHT. Fifteenth
 thousand. 251 pp.

 THAT LAST WAIF; OR, SOCIAL QUARANTINE. Sixth thousand. 270 pp.

 FLETCHERISM: WHAT IT IS; OR, HOW I BECAME YOUNG AT SIXTY. 240 pp.


[Illustration: THE AUTHOR]


    FLETCHERISM

    WHAT IT IS

    OR

    HOW I BECAME YOUNG
    AT SIXTY

    BY

    HORACE FLETCHER, A.M.

    _Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science_

    NEW YORK
    FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
    PUBLISHERS


    COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY
    FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

   _September, 1913_

    THE.PLIMPTON.PRESS
    NORWOOD.MASS.U.S.A




CONTENTS


  CHAPTER                              PAGE

  INTRODUCTION                            ix

  PREFACE                                 xi

  I HOW I BECAME A FLETCHERITE             1

  II SCIENTIFIC TESTS                     15

  III WHAT I AM ASKED ABOUT
  FLETCHERISM                             32

  IV RULES OF FLETCHERISM                 51

  V WHAT IS PROPER MASTICATION?           64

  VI WHAT IS HEAD DIGESTION?              73

  VII CHITTENDEN ON CAREFUL
  CHEWING                                 84

  VIII THE THREE INCHES OF PERSONAL
  RESPONSIBILITY                          91

  IX QUESTION PRESCRIPTION AND
  PROSCRIPTION                           104

  X WHAT CONSTITUTES A FLETCHERITE       116

  XI ALL DECENT EATERS ARE
  FLETCHERITES                           126

  XII FLETCHERIZING AS A TEMPERANCE
  EXPEDIENT                              138

  XIII THE MENACE OF MODERN MIXED
  MENUS                                  158

  XIV THE CRUX OF FLETCHERISM            170

  XV FLETCHERISM AND VEGETARIANISM       180

  APPENDIX                               197

  INDEX                                  221




ILLUSTRATIONS


  The Author      _Frontispiece_

                                               FACING
                                                PAGE

  The Author Testing His Endurance by Means
  of the Kellog Mercurial Dynamometer             16

  The Author Undergoing a Test at Yale When
  He Made a World's Record on the Irving
  Fisher Endurance Testing Machine                28

  The Author Feeling Himself to Be the Most
  Fortunate Person Alive                          70

  Horace Fletcher in His Master of Arts Robes     98

  The Author, on his Sixtieth Birthday, Performing
  Feats of Agility and Strength which
  Would Be Remarkable Even in a Young
  Athlete                                        100




INTRODUCTION


Fletcherism has become a fact.

A dozen years ago it was laughed at as the "chew-chew" cult; to-day
the most famous men of Science endorse it and teach its principles.
Scientific leaders at the world's foremost Universities--Cambridge,
England; Turin, Italy; Berne, Switzerland; La Sorbonne, France; Berlin,
Prussia; Brussels, Belgium; St. Petersburg, Russia; as well as Harvard,
Yale and Johns Hopkins in America--have shown themselves in complete
accord with Mr. Fletcher's teachings.

The intention of the present volume is that it shall stand as a compact
statement of the Gospel of Fletcherism, whereas his other volumes treat
the subject more at length and are devoted to different phases of Mr.
Fletcher's philosophy. The author here relates briefly the story of
his regeneration, of how he rescued himself from the prospect of an
early grave, and brought himself to his present splendid physical and
mental condition. He tells of the discovery of his principles, which
have helped millions of people to live better, happier, and healthier
lives.

Mr. Fletcher writes with all his well-known literary charm and
vivacity, which have won for his works such a wide-spread popular
demand.

It is safe to say that no intelligent reader will peruse this work
without becoming convinced that Mr. Fletcher