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The following item was contributed by the Soyfoods Center:
Athena Hygeia Humane Diet Society. 1906. New vegetarian society. Greece.
Summary: Source: Hompes, Mathilde. 1909. "Foreign notes:
Progress of Food Reform in Greece." Vegetarian Messenger and
Health Review (Manchester, England). March. p. 114. "Dr. Platon
E. Drakoules loses no opportunity whenever visiting his native country,
of gaining converts to the cause of humane food reform.... The Food
Reform Society at Athens, called Athena Hygiea [sic], which was inaugurated
as a result of the banquet promoted by the doctor in 1906, on Easter
Sunday gave a reformed diet dinner in his honour." While the Food
Reform Society is not explicitly vegetarian, it is most likely that,
following the teachings of Dr. Drakoules, it promoted vegetarianism
as part of its program of food reform
The following is an extract from the report on 1910 IVU Congress, held
in Brussels, Belgium:
Mme. Drakoules, who, along with her husband, have done so much for
the spread of our cause in Greece and elsewhere, spoke for Greece. This
Society has only been in existence four years, and rests chiefly on
hygiene.
In the August, 1910, issue of the Vegetarian Messenger (VSUK magazine)
this was referred toas the 'Athena Hygeia Humane Diet Society'. There
was an extensive article about vegetarianism in Greece which should be
added here in due course. At present we do now know what happened to this
society or whether the one mentioned below was the same group re-formed
after the war, or whether they were separate..
- extracts from the report on the 1926 Congress, held in London England:
... the delegates were introduced to the assembly, and the following
is the order in which they responded to the roll call ... Dr. Damoglou
(Greece), ...
... There had been, however, an addition of three societies - Esthonia,
the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club (England), and Greece. ...
... Dr. STAVROS DAMOGLOU (Greece), in an address entitled "What
is True Vegetarianism?" remarked that in Greece they did not describe
themselves as ''vegetarians," but simply called themselves "non-meat-eaters."
The Greek society had only been in existence three years, but already
there were three hundred members, and these included sixty-five fully
qualified medical men. During twelve years' practice in London he had
also advised his patients to abstain from dairy produce, and he had
not seen a single case that had not benefited by such abstention. The
consistent practice of vegetarian principles was the only hope for a
better world of concord, contentment, efficiency and prosperity. The
speaker also advocated that animal manures should not be used in the
cultivation of fruit and vegetables. ...
We don't know what happened to this society either. The reports for the
IVU Congresses in 1929 to 1950 make no mention of Greece.
The only other reference we have to Greece is from the minutes of the
Business Meeting at the 1965 Congress, held in Swanwick, England:
... A suggestion that a Congress should be held in Greece to help form
a vegetarian Society there was not accepted for the time being though
it was agreed that it would be a good thing to start a national society
in the homeland of Pythagoras. ...
We are currently unaware of any vegetarian society in Greece.
If you have any more information about anything on this page please contact
John Davis - webmaster@ivu.org
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