Soilman at 56
Soilman: “I developed stomach and duodenal ulcer after being vegan for about 35 years. I also took [Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs] for those 35 years, and most likely that was the cause. Interestingly, the main symptom I got was nausea and inability to hold ANYTHING down, for weeks. Even carrot juice and cantaloupes tended to come back up…
“Mostly all vegan restaurants seem to have so many fried foods and so many foods inundated with fungal ingredients, that there isn’t much that my gastro-intestinal tract would be happy with. So many of them say ‘trust us, we’re completely vegan.’ I don’t like that at all. I like to know every single thing that is going into my body.
“Personally, I can’t live comfortably without a couple of high-tech expensive drugs that come only in [gelatin] capsules. … I have trouble swallowing the disgusting things, due to my gag reflex — because I know what they are. There is also the very infinitesimal possibility that you might get some kind of prion disease from the porcine or bovine gelatin.
“Quorn is an industrially produced material. If there is a war or global catastrophe, your supplies will be disrupted. Why depend on these system devised and operated by slaughterers and butcherers, at all, for our survival? Simple sources of protein such as beans that we can grow quickly and easily, ourselves, on any little plot of land you can find, would be a better source of protein. Until you can grow them yourself, start getting accustomed to eating this kind of food. So you won’t be thrown out of whack when the system collapses.
“Actually, I am going to die soon, and if I don’t start a communal farm before I die, my veganic growing secrets will die with me. I don’t want to publish my techniques for everyone to benefit from, whether they are vegan or not. I want to only pass my techniques on to people who are committed to veganity — to living without animal husbandry — so that they can prosper, and prosper better than non-vegans.
“I am not too enthusiastic about using human feces and urine or human cadavers (either could correctly be called human manure). If I did use it, I would only use it from vegan humans … As far as intentional communities, my idea of what makes a good vegan intentional community may be very different from what other vegans think is a desirable community. I like animals, but I do not like living with ‘companion’ animals, and especially I do not want these rascals indoors with me.”
Soilman at 44
- Soilman’s bio on The Vegan Forum
Note: The original version of this entry was titled “A Vegan Life and Death: ‘Soilman’ Theodore Zuckerman In His Own Words,” and included a link to an obituary for a man named Theodore Zuckerman. However, this was a different Zuckerman who was born two years earlier. Soilman himself brought this to my attention through his comments on this entry. My apologies to Soilman for greatly exaggerating reports of his death. It’s good to have you back, Soilman!
