# Experiments in Dietetics explained — The Story of My Experiments with Truth

> Chapter companion for The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi.

## What happens

Gandhi describes his deepening commitment to vegetarianism and his systematic experiments with diet, including giving up sweets, condiments, tea, and coffee, and testing starchless and egg-inclusive diets. He reflects on the ethical, scientific, medical, and economic arguments for vegetarianism, and the importance of interpreting vows honestly, especially in light of his mother's definition of meat. He also recounts founding a short-lived vegetarian club in Bayswater.

## Themes in this chapter

### Vegetarianism and Dietary Discipline

Gandhi explores vegetarianism from ethical, scientific, medical, and economic angles, and conducts personal experiments with diet.

### Truth and Self-Experimentation

Gandhi emphasizes the importance of honest interpretation of vows and the pursuit of truth through dietary experiments.

### Self-Discipline and Simplicity

Gandhi adopts frugal eating habits, giving up condiments, tea, coffee, and expensive restaurant meals in favor of simple, economical food.

## Character check-ins

### Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Narrator and subject of the chapter; conducts dietary experiments and reflects on vows.

### Putlibai Gandhi

Gandhi's mother; her definition of meat (including eggs) is cited as binding on his vow.

### Sir Edwin Arnold

Invited by Gandhi to be Vice-President of the Bayswater vegetarian club.

### Dr. Josiah Oldfield

Editor of The Vegetarian and President of the Bayswater vegetarian club.

## Key lines

> I saw that the writers on vegetarianism had examined the question very minutely, attacking it in its religious, scientific, practical and medical aspects.

Gandhi realized that vegetarian authors had thoroughly analyzed the topic from religious, scientific, practical, and medical perspectives.

_Gandhi's intellectual conversion to vegetarianism was influenced by comprehensive arguments._

> Many such experiments taught me that the real seat of taste was not the tongue but the mind.

Through his dietary experiments, Gandhi learned that taste is determined more by the mind than by the tongue.

_Reflects Gandhi's growing understanding of mental discipline over physical desires._

> One golden rule is to accept the interpretation honestly put on the pledge by the party administering it.

A key principle is to faithfully accept the interpretation of a vow given by the person who administered it.

_Gandhi applies this rule to his mother's definition of meat, rejecting broader interpretations._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_my_experiments_with_truth_se/chapters/part-i-xvii-experiments-in-dietetics
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_my_experiments_with_truth_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_my_experiments_with_truth_se/chapters