ness of their circulation, are particularly liable to this
excess of action, which is inflammation. This general inflammation, in
time, settles into some form of acute disease, so that in fact, by
blindly attempting to strengthen, we inflame, disease, and enfeeble to
the greatest possible degree.

If we look at nature--at the animal instincts that are around us, what a
different course does it advise! The Creator has taught the lower races
to take care of their young; and if some accident does not happen to
them they never lose one; just as they manage to-day, just so did they
do for them a thousand years ago. Man is left to his own reason, I had
almost said to his caprice; every age has produced different customs,
and in consequence different diseases. More than half of the human race
die under five years old; how small a portion live to the full
"_threescore and ten_."

Morally and intellectually, man may advance to an almost unlimited
extent; but he must remember, that physically he is subjected to the
same laws as other animals. Is it not quite time that we should bow our
pride of reason, and look to the practice of those animals that raise
all their young, and live out their own natural lives? How do they
manage? We need not look far; see, madam, the cat; how does she contrive
to rear her young family? Who ever saw her give one of them a
shower-bath? Who ever saw her take a piece of meat to her nest, that her
little ones might try their gums on it, before their teeth had grown?
Who ever saw her taking them out of a cold winter's day for exercise in
the open air, till their little noses were as red as those of the
unfortunate babies one meets every cold day? Not one of all these
excellent fashionable plans does she resort to. She keeps them
clean--very clean, warm--very warm indeed. The Creator sends them to
make their way in the world dressed completely, cap and all, in a
garment unexceptionable as to warmth; there is no thick sock on the feet
to protect from chills, and the head left with the bare skin uncovered,
because reason had discovered that the head was the hottest part of the
body, and that it was all a mistake that it should be so; therefore it
was left exposed to correct this natural, universal law of the animal
economy. Pussy knows nothing of all this, so kittie's cap is left on,
coming snug over the little ears; and who ever saw a cat deaf (but from
age) or a kitten with the ear-ache? Yet the first th