Taubes' Tidbits No.1

In the beginning of chapter 4 of Taubes' book Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes writes about Albert Schweitzer who in 1913 arrives in Lambaréné, Gabon, West Africa. Schweitzer was a missionary surgeon.

"Schweitzer estimated that he saw almost two thousand patients in the first nine months."

After the first nine months he averaged 30-40 patients a day for most of the coming 40 years. 41 years later and a year after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize he encountered the first case of appendicitis. When first arriving to Gabon,

"[he] was astounded to encounter no cases of cancer."

During the years more and more cancer appeared. Schweitzer attributed this to the locals living "more like the whites."