,,Niech zginą nałogi mięsno-wódczano-tytuniowo-modne”. Programy i idee polskich wegetarian XIX i początku XX stulecia

Abstract

The vegetarian movement which emerged in Poland in the second half of the 19th century was informal undertaking at first, while its leaders championed original conceptions of their own. Unlike advocates of protecting animals from cruel treatment, who established the Society for the Protection of Animals in the 1860s-1870s, vegetarians functioned without a registered association until 1904. Their ideas were an eclectic mix: the essential idea of a vegetarian diet was combined with many other conceptions and postulations. Konstanty Moes-Oskragiełło connected vegetarianism with the requirement to wear woollen clothes (though he himself also supported naturism) and certain natural treatments. Józef Drzewiecki added homeopathy as well as natural medicine. Rajmund Janicki advocated an ascetic lifestyle, eschewing any substances and German-style attire. Rev. Wincent Pix, as a vegetarian, was
a patron of campaigns against vaccinations. The feature which united these diverse elements the most was their explicitly anthropocentric nature: the ultimate goal was the wellness and rejuvenation of people and their return to a life lived in accordance with Nature. From their standpoint, the health of the humankind and its spiritual well-being were the prevailing concern, whereas comparatively little attention was devoted to the welfare of animals.