– Establishment of the Society
– Founded in 1880 by Abel Hureau de Villeneuve in Paris
– Merged into the Vegetarian Society of France in 1882
– Reconstituted in 1899 by President Jules Grand with 30 initial members
– Membership included doctors, industrial workers, lawyers, and soldiers
– Had dedicated vegetarians and associate members
– Growth and Collaboration
– Had 800 members in 1906
– Collaborated with the Belgian Vegetarian Society on a journal
– Noted for actively seeking to influence the population through various means
– Published “La Reforme Alimentaire” every month until 1914
– Published the “Bulletin de la Société végétarienne de France” from 1916 to 1920
– Members and Contributors
– Included physicians like Fougerat de David de Lastours and Eugène Tardif
– Ernest Nyssens from Brussels was an editor
– Elisée Reclus’ essay “Le Vegetarisme” was published in their journal
– Had 1,175 members in 1909
– After the decline, new groups like the French Naturist Society emerged
– Publications and Journals
– Published various works like “Viva! Health” and “Shelleys Vegetarianism”
– Also published “Behind the Scenes in Slaughter-Houses” and “Why I Am a Vegetarian”
– Notable contributors included William Alcott and Helen Nearing
– Published “La Reforme Alimentaire” and the “Bulletin de la Société végétarienne de France”
– Translated works like “A Scientific Investigation into Vegetarianism” in 1922
– Legacy and Influence
– Historian Ulrike Thoms noted their efforts to influence the public
– Members included prominent figures like Henry Stephens Salt
– Society’s decline led to the emergence of new food reform groups
– Paul Carton, a member since 1909, formed the French Naturist Society
– Their publications and collaborations left a mark on vegetarianism in France
The French Vegetarian Society (also known as Vegetarian Society of France) was a vegetarian organization, formed in 1882 by G. Goyart. The aim of the Society was to "propagate vegetarianism and assert the benefits of any order it presents."