membrane, by diftillation; the other from its white or mealy part, by preffure; and wę shall find that ten drops of the first, in an ounce of water, will kill a dog in half an hour; whilft on the contrary, the other is friendly to the conftitution, and affords wholesome nourishment.

Surely there is a nearer road to the cure of Chronic Difeafes, than by the ftomach and bowels, from what are called medicines: But the wide-extended path of nature is often deferted, whilft men are ridiculously employed in making their way thro' narrow avenues befet with briars and thorns; and fo long as they profit largely by this kind of labour, 'tis no wonder, that now and then they should be tempted to go a little about.

Whatever benefit is fuddenly produced by the effects of strong medicines, is generally done with fome degree of violence to the conftitution, and is feldom lasting; whereas, Air, Diet, and Exercife, do not

like the former, affect particular parts of the body and for a short time only; but are always acting upon the general habit in a natural, uniform, and gentle manner. Those remedies do not pall the stomach and fubject the patient to any fevere penance; but, on the contrary, increase the appetite, strengthen, invigorate and chear the fpirits, promote a free and equal distribution of the blood through its veffels, as well as the feveral discharges depending upon a due circulation.

Diseases which are flowly produced, can only with safety be flowly taken away; and few I believe will oppofe a truth fo manifeft, or deny that this purpofe is beft effected by Air, Exercife, and a medicated Diet. Thofe are the Grand Alteratives in nature's Difpenfatory, those the mild but powerful Simples, which in due time will produce a falutary and lasting change; attended with circumstances which cannot fail to recom

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mend them, viz. they may be beneficial to all and can be hurtful to none.

In general, Chronic Difeafes are the offfpring of intemperance and irregularity of the paffions, which, by weakening the nervous influence, impair both appetite and digestion, and render the natural discharges of the body irregular and defective.

To thofe caufes may be added fome others arifing from an hereditary taint, or acute difeases terminated by an imperfect crifis. The too frequent and unfeasonable lofs of blood by the lancet, or prepofterous use of strong medicines, aš Vomits, Purges, Mercury, and the like, may also lay the foundation of fuch difeafes.

Diseases peculiar to certain places, which are therefore called endemial, as well as thofe prevailing in different nations and climates; or according to the nature of people's various employments and manner of living, all evidently fhew, how much the health may

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fer from caufes always prefent to the body, and infenfibly acting on the conftitution.

From this obvious and felf-evident principle we may expect to prevent, or cure, the most obftinate Chronic Diseases, by the long continued use of Regimen and Simple Medicines, which being regularly continued without violence to the conftitution, have the power to produce in the body a gradual, and as it were, a mechanical change.

In fhort, if the damp, unwholesome air of particular places, has been found to occa fion Agues and Dropfies peculiar to fuch fitu ations, as in the Fens of Effex and Lincolnfire; if a total abstinence from fresh vegetables, and the exceffive ufe of falt and fmoke-dried animal food, or living in low, marshy places contiguous to the fea, have, in a thousand inftances, been known to produce the Scurvy; and if a fedentary, inactive life, has been obferved to enervate the body, bring on indigeftion, paralytic numb.

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nefs and wafting of the limbs, hysterics and melancholy; it will then follow, from the principles of common fenfe, that the use of dry, clear air, fimple vegetable food, and moderate exercife, will not only prevent, but also powerfully contribute to cure fuch diseases; fince thofe may be all uniformly applied to the body, and will constantly act on every part of the whole, in a manner directly oppofite to the morbid causes.

Thofe are the great and univerfal Remedies which nature calls to her aid in the cure of difeafes: They are not, like particular fubftances, taken from a changeable Materia Medica, the medicines of to-day and to-morrow, but will permanently continue to exert their fovereign power, to the end of the world. How different is the fate of many things which ignorance and fuperftition, or the exceffive caprice of mankind, had, for a season, ftamped as genuine and infallable? For as the hand of time fhall