Whether this attitude of mind is a discontent with the present order of things, a striving to reach a higher plane, or mere sentimentalism, I am quite certain that it cannot be suppressed, but must bear fruit. We find expression given to it amongst all classes of people. Some years ago when Robert Blatchford was Editor of the Clarion at the height of his fame, I heard him tell the following story of himself:.
“I was walking through the streets of a part of London one Sunday afternoon when I saw a drover behaving in a most cruel manner to a herd of pigs, many bearing the marks of his whip. I went up to him and said, You cruel beggar, why dont you treat them in a humane manner? The drovers reply was: Mind your own business; you will be pleased enough to eat them presently, wont you.
Blatchfords comment was, ” The reply cut me to the quick, I have never eaten any meat since.” My inward thoughts were, whatever some religious people may say of you, you are a pal of mine. As Mr. Blatchford, at that time, at any rate, was not considered by most people to be a religious man, a story of one who was a deacon of one of the most noted churches in the Midlands, and who had in his young mens class one who eventually reached a high position in H.M. Government, may not be considered out of place.
The story he told me was relative to his honeymoon. He and his wife, after being married earlier in the day, reached a small Welsh town late on Saturday evening. The landlady asked what would they like for dinner on Sunday. The reply was “a little chicken”. This the newly-married arranged to get from the market. The obliging stall-keeper informed them that she was sorry but she had sold out. She had, however, some live chickens in a pen and would have much pleasure in killing one for them. This happened more than sixty years ago, and doubtless my friend had never heard of VEGETARIANISM, but to commence married life with slaughter was too much for him. They went back without the chicken and he added, “I have never eaten fish, flesh or fowl since”.
The many-sidedness and breadth of this question is such that one feels however much may be written, only a fringe of the question has been touched. There is no doubt that vegetarianism would settle the drink question. It would also render war and all the cruelties connected therewith, an impossibility. These aspects of the question may be dealt with in a later issue of “HEAL THYSELF”. Those who wish to learn more of the subject cannot do better than get a copy of Every Living Creature, that powerful little book by Ralph Waldo Trine.
Henry followed in his father's footsteps, obtaining his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Durham in 1891. At the age of 27 he arrived in Melbourne in April 1894 aboard the Port Albert. He was registered as a medical practitioner in Victoria on 4 May 1894.
It appears that Dr Cook already believed in homœopathy, possibly because of his father's influence, as in 1895 Dr Cook took the position of Resident Surgeon of the Melbourne Homœopathic Hospital . (This position was previously held by Dr James Cook, unrelated, who resigned in March 1895). He was listed in the 1896 & 1897 editions of the Melbourne Post Office Directory as being Resident Medical Officer at the Melbourne Homœopathic Hospital, but not in the 1898 edition.
In 1901 he moved to Sale in Eastern Victoria, where he ran a practice in York Street. By 1909 his practice was at Wyndham Street, Shepparton.
By 1919 he had moved to 2 Studley Park Road, Kew, where he died on 7 May, 1923.