nourisher in life's feast," Perhaps
they drink tea before rising, and indulge in a morning nap; this
weakens much more than the greatest muscular exertion they would be
capable of supporting for an equal time. For the sleep at this time
is almost invariably disturbed, and attended by a heat of the skin.
The reason of this must be evident to every one who has attended
these lectures.

The effect of sleep is to accumulate the excitability, or render it
more sensible to the effects of any stimulants applied. This takes
place in every constitution, and much more in the more delicate:
hence the heat of the bed, and of the tea, acts so powerfully on the
surface, as, in general, to produce great perspiration, or, at any
rate, great languor and debility.

Let me ask, can any one, who lives in this manner, expect to enjoy
good health? With as great probability might we expect, that when we
plunged a thermometer into hot water, the mercury would not rise, or
when we applied a lighted match to gunpowder, it would not explode.
The laws of nature are constant and uniform, and the same, or similar
causes, both in the animate and inanimate world, are always
productive of the same, or similar effects.

The cure of these complaints is at least obvious, if not easy. It
consists in deserting crowded and heated rooms, at least for part of
the time they have been usually occupied; in abstaining from strong
wines; in keeping the bed rooms moderately cool; and retiring to rest
at a proper hour.

With respect to the effects of nutriment, in producing asthenic
diseases, we may observe, that all watery vegetable food, too sparing
a use of animal food, as also meat which is too salt, and deprived of
its nutritious juices by keeping, when more nutritious matter is at
the same time withheld, constantly weaken, and thereby tend to
produce asthenic diseases. Hence would appear to arise that
remarkable imbecility of body and mind which distinguishes the
Gentoos. Hence arise the diseases with which the poor are every where
afflicted; hence scrofula, epilepsy, and the whole band of asthenic
diseases.

But intemperance in eating and drinking, or taking nutritious and
highly stimulant substances too freely, will, infallibly, bring on
asthenic disease, or a state of indirect debility, by exhausting the
excitability; and it must be observed, that this species of debility
is much worse to cure than the direct kind; for in the latter we have
abundanc