To enumerate the means devised, and made trial of to relieve me, would be to repeat what is usually enjoined in similar cases; suffice it to say, such was my condition, now better, now worse, for many years, from 1802 to 1810, in which last year my health was very much worse than it had been in any former year. Being at Edinburgh, as a student of medicine, and a pupil of Dr. Gregory, I requested his advice, which was of no avail. Fortunately, however, I had become acquainted with a student of medicine who had been similarly affected with myself. Mentioning to him my case, he wished me to make trial of a vegetable regimen, with milk. I did, and during the six months my stay at Edinburgh was protracted my health was much amended. Yet no solid nor substantial benefit was derived from the vegetable regimen until I had been introduced to you, in January, 1812, and had perused your publications; when the milk was abandoned, and distilled water substituted in its place. The change from that year has been great: all that had rendered existence irksome has been removed; my mind is tranquilized and calmed; my health has increased, and no doubt will continue to increase, never again, I trust, to be greatly diminished. Perhaps a short narrative of what I am now equal to in mind and body, contrasted with what I was not equal to, when living upon flesh, and fermented liquors, will be convincing. In 1812 my mind and body were capable of enduring more exertion than in 1811; in this year, 1813 and especially in the past summer, a great accession of mental vigor, and of bodily strength and activity, has been gained, more than in 1812; but an improvement had also been experienced in 1812, greater than in 1811; the inference is plain and obvious— "Mobilitate vigeo viresque acquiro eundo." Through the past summer, I have not unfrequently risen at four o'clock in the morning to study, and I have generally gone to bed at ten o'clock; my sleep has been sound and refreshing, and free from horrid dreams. Not so when my food was flesh, and my drink fermented liquors; then the hours of sleep did not refresh me in mind, nor recruit me in body; but now it is Airy, light, from pure digestion bred, Through the past summer, I have been equal to more walking exercise, been much less fatigued, and required less suste nance; fruit, with bread and biscuit, in moderate quantity being sufficient. Indeed I have observed that the lighter the food, and the more moderate in quantity, the more walking exercise I am equal to; moreover, my respiration is more equable, each inspiration is longer, and the number within a given time fewer, consequently the ability to continue exercise is increased. Very different was it, when I lived not as at present; then there was wanted not only the inclination to exercise, but an ability to continue it; upon level ground my respiration was frequent, hurried, laborious, now I can ascend a long and steep hill, walking very little slower than upon level ground; and when I have surmounted the hill, my respiration has been in no degree either hurried or panting. With respect to my bowels, they are now regular, requiring no medicine to excite them to action; on the contrary, when I lived otherwise than at present, they were torpid, and needed much stimulating; in short, my habit of body was considered constitutionally costive; an opinion most decidedly erroneous; it having been my erroneous and unnatural mode of living which contributed thereto. I should here close my statement in the usual and generally unmeaning language of persons who wish not to appear ungrateful, but I restrain myself; to you, dear sir, "conscientia bene actæ vitæ, multorumque benefactorum recordatio, jucundissima est." Walworth, 6th Oct., 1813. I am, Yours sincerely, JUSTINIAN MINOCH. CASES XVIII., XIX., XX., AND XXI. Miscellaneous. FROM A CORRESPONDENT. I HAVE great satisfaction in being able to give the memoirs of a third family, who (I hope I may say it without the imputation of vanity) have had the spirit and good sense to imitate the example given by Mr. Newton and myself. This I shall do in the words of the head of the family, a gentleman resident in a distant county, conveyed to me in the following letter: DEAR SIS, Dec. 12, 1814. I am happy to learn from your friendly letter that your book, for which I have long been anxiously looking, is in progress for pabbration. I wish to see you before the public, and to learn your opponents will venture fairly to encounter you by argument, and give the subject that full discussion which medical opics of infinitely minor importance are daily receiving. From such a discussion, I can only anticipate a triumph of your doctrines equally honorable to you and beneficial to My own experience on the subject has been perfectly satisfactory. When I first adopted your regimen in my family, I began it without any undue prejudice in its favor. My own bewih had always been good, so that I had no personal alarm er suffering to drive me from common habits; and having had no Lines and deaths among my children, I could not be quite moved by the predictions of permanent weakness or dangereus or final maladies with which I was on all sides threatened, as the inevitable effects of this mode of living. After persisting near four years in the use of a strict vegetable diet and distilled water, I am happy to give my decided testimony in favor of your system. Its effects have been a gradual and important strengthening of the constitution, without any inconvenience or dagreeable symptom. I found the change easy and pleasant, and have never had the least wish to resume the use of animal food. I have always used much exercise; I have found my power of bearing fatigue increase; and I have never during the whole time felt even the slightest indisposition. With respect to my children, A————, aged twelve, has always been a stout boy, but was formerly liable to violent inflammatory attacks on his chest and windpipe, which only yielded to the powerful applications of bleeding, blisters, James' Powder, and digitalis. He had always been hardily brought up, and lived less fully than most children with whom I am acquainted. These attacks were extremely sudden, and were preceded by an unusual appearance of health. Since we have adopted your regimen, he has never had a day's illness, and is in size, muscular strength, and power of supporting fatigue equal to any boy of his age I have met with. B——, aged ten. The history of his health resembles that of his brother; his life has been repeatedly endangered by the same inflammations of the trachea and lungs, which have been repelled by the same remedies. The change of diet has had the like favorable effects upon him; and he has enjoyed the same freedom from sickness or indisposition. These boys, in color and fullness of habit, have every appearance of perfect and robust health; they are thinly clad, much abroad, and exposed, without precaution or injury, to all changes of the weather. They find their mode of diet easy and pleasant, and have no wish for animal food. C- five years old, was a very delicate child from the birth, and suffered much from want of action of the bowels; this defect has been completely removed, and though still less robust than the two former, the general health is quite good. This child has been twice indisposed for a short time with cold and sore throat, the last time about six months ago; did not change the diet till some time after the experiment had been tried on the stronger part of the family, and though so young and so delicate, was the only one of the party who retained for any length of time an inclination for animal food. We should not of course like to appear by name before the public, but for any other use you choose to make of them, my observations on this or any future occasion are quite at your service. CASE XXII. General Debility, Mental Weakness, Sleeplessness, and Headache. DEAR SIR, FROM A CORRESPONDENT. Sandon, near Royston, Dec. 28, 1814. About two years ago I was so very sickly that I had but little enjoyment in life. My great complaint was general debility, which daily increased upon me, took away all desire and ability for exertion, and rendered my mind incapable of attending to any subject for any length of time. Occasionally I was under a considerable stimulus and animation, which were followed by coldness and languor. It is not an easy task to make those persons comprehend me who have never felt this distressing debility of the human frame, which so materially affects the spirits, and deprives the mind of all its energies. I am convinced that man is completely a material being, and that all permanent courage and strength of motive spontaneously result from the strength and purity of the physical system. Šleep did not seem to benefit me; my appetite was craving, and seldom satisfied, and once a week I was subject to a distressing sick headache. My fluids were evidently in an impure state, consequently the solid parts were not nourished; for impurity cannot impart strength, and hence that general debility of which I complained. Having read Mr. Newton's work, and your publications, I resolved to adopt the use of vegetables with distilled water, and now, after the experience of nearly two years, I can say with the strictest truth and certainty, that my health has been gradually improving up to the present time. My strength is greater than it ever was before; my painful sensations have left me, and my headache seldom attacks me, and never with its former violence. I do not mean to say that I am perfectly well; such an idea would be absurd, and contrary to the laws of the human constitution; but I am certainly better in health now than I remember ever to have been in any former period of my life. The comparison is not to be made between me and any other person, but between what I am now and what I was before I adopted this regimen. Vegetables are certainly the natural support of man: they recommend themselves by their freshness and purity; and by their natural sweetness and agreeableness to the palate. They require so little trouble to prepare them, and are always a nice, clean, and delicate food; while dead animal substances are very offensive to the senses, and it becomes a very dirty and disagreeable task to cook and prepare them for the appetite. The slaughter of animals is also a ferocious and disgusting act, which greatly opposes the growth of benevolent dispositions. Comparative anatomy has clearly proved that man is, in his construction, an herbivorous animal, which ought to have great weight with every rational mind. The world, sir, will thank you, in some future time, for your labors in one of the most benevolent investigations that can interest our understandings. Yours, sincerely, G. G. FORDHAM. Mr. Fordham received, in the course of his attempts to improve his health, convincing proof of the necessity of uniting the use of the pure water to the vegetable regimen. He at first left off animal food only, using the same water to which he had been accustomed. But he found the change irksome, complained much of his feeble and fastidious stomach, and did not appear to receive due strength and nourishment from his food. To some inquiries which I made on this subject, Mr. Fordham sent me the following answer: |