ime, and with less danger of a relapse
than the other, with all the assistance of the best skill and
experience, under a full and free, though even a commonly reputed
moderate diet, but of rich foods and generous liquors; much more, under
a voluptuous diet."

But I am unwilling to dismiss this subject without inserting a few more
extracts from Dr. Cheyne, to show his views of the treatment of
diseases. And first, of the scurvy, and other diseases which he supposes
to arise from it.

"There is no chronical distemper, whatsoever, more universal, more
obstinate, and more fatal in Britain than the scurvy, taken in its
general extent. Scarce any one chronical distemper but owes its origin
to a scorbutic tendency, or is so complicated with it, that it furnishes
the most cruel and most obstinate symptoms. To it we owe all the
dropsies that happen after the meridian of life; all diabetes, asthmas,
consumptions of several kinds; many sorts of colics and diarrhoeas;
some kinds of gouts and rheumatisms, all palsies, various kinds of
ulcers, and possibly the cancer itself; and most cutaneous foulnesses,
weakly constitutions, and bad digestions; vapors, melancholy, and almost
all nervous distempers whatsoever. And what a plentiful source of
miseries the last are, the afflicted best can tell. And scarce any one
chronical distemper whatever, but has some degree of this evil
faithfully attending it. The reason why the scurvy is peculiar to this
country and so fruitful of miseries, is, that it is produced by causes
mostly special and particular to this island, to wit: the indulging so
much in animal food and strong fermented liquors, sedentary and confined
employments, etc.

"Though the inhabitants of Britain live, for the most part, as long as
those of a warmer climate, and probably rather longer, yet scarce any
one, especially those of the better sort, but becomes crazy and suffers
under some chronical distemper or other, before he arrives at old age.

"Nothing less than a very moderate use of animal food, and that of the
least exciting kind, and a more moderate use of spirituous liquors, due
exercise, etc., can keep this hydra under. And nothing else than a total
abstinence from animal food and alcoholic liquors can totally extirpate
it."

The following are extracted from his "Natural Methods." I do not lay
them down as recipes, to be followed in the treatment of diseases; but
to show the views of Dr. Cheyne in regard to vegeta