Margaret Caro

Caro was born in Richmond, Nelson. In 1864 she married Dr J.S. Caro and they lived in the South Island.^[1] They moved to Napier in 1878 where she practiced dentistry for 25 years.^[2]

Caro joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1888 after going to evangelistic meetings held by A. G. Daniells.^[1] She was converted to vegetarianism by Daniells who had preached food reform and the advantages of a vegetarian diet at Hawke's Bay Region.^[3] Caro was a former slaughterhouse inspector but became a vegetarianism activist. After 1899, she joined the Christchurch Vegetarian Society, even though she still lived in Napier.^[3]

Caro put together weekly vegetarian dinner recipes for the average working man that were published in the White Ribbon temperance magazine.^[3] In 1902, she advocated vegetarianism at the conference of the National Council of Women. Caro's son Edgar was also a vegetarian and was the editor of the New Zealand Health Journal.^[3]

Caro died in Wellington in 1938.^[2]

• “Man’s Natural Diet” in National Council of the Women of New Zealand, 7th session (May 5–15, 1902)
• “Wholesome Food” in White Ribbon (September, 1902)