class="title2">THE KITCHEN OF A PHYSICIAN.

“Miscuit utile dulce.”

THE THIRD EDITION,

WHICH IS ALMOST ENTIRELY RE-WRITTEN.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR A. CONSTABLE & Co. EDINBURGH;

AND HURST, ROBINSON, & Co. CHEAPSIDE.

And sold also by all Booksellers in Town and Country.

1821.

THE ART

OF

INVIGORATING AND PROLONGING

L I F E

BY

Diet and Regimen.

“The choice and measure of the materials of which our Body is composed,—and what we take daily by Pounds,—is at least of as much importance as what we take seldom, and only by Grains and Spoonsful.”—Dr. Arbuthnot on Aliment, pref. p. iii.

The Editor of the following pages had originally an extremely Delicate Constitution;—and at an early period devoted himself to the study of Physic, with the hope—of learning how to make the most of his small stock of Health.

The System he adopted, succeeded, and he is arrived at his forty-third year, in tolerable good Health; and this without any uncomfortable abstinence:—his maxim has ever been, “dum Vivimus, Vivamus.”

He does not mean the Aguish existence of the votary of Fashion—whose Body is burning from voluptuous intemperance to-day, and freezing in miserable collapse to-morrow—not extravagantly consuming in a Day, the animal spirits which Nature intended for the animation of a Week—but keeping the expense of the machinery of Life within the income of Health,—which the Constitution can regularly and comfortably supply.

This is the grand “arcanum duplicatum” for “Living all the days of your Life.”

The Art of Invigorating the Health, and improving the Strength of Man, has hitherto only been considered for the purpose of training1 him for Athletic Exercises—but I have often thought that a similar plan might be adopted with considerable advantage, to animate and strengthen enfeebled Constitutions—prevent Gout—reduce Corpulency—cure Nervous and Chronic Weakness—Hypochondriac and Bilious Disorders, &c.—to increase the Enjoyment, and prolong the duration of Feeble Life—for which Medicine, unassisted by Diet and Regimen,—affords but very trifling and temporary help.

The universal desire of repairing, perfecting, and prolonging Life, has induced many ingenious men to try innumerable experiments on almost all the products of the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral kingdoms, with the hope of discovering Agents, that will not merely increase or diminish the force or frequency of the Pulse; but with an ardour as romantic as the search after the Philosopher’s Stone, they have vainly hoped, that Panaceas might be found possessing the power of curing “all the evils that flesh is heir to.”

This is evident enough to all who have examined the early Pharmacopœias, which are full of heterogeneous compounds, the inventions of interested, and the imaginations of ignorant men.

The liberal and enlightened Physicians of the last and present century have gradually expunged most of these, and made the science of Medicine sufficiently intelligible to those whose business it is to learn it—if Medicine be entirely divested of its Mystery, its power over the Mind, which in most cases forms its main strength, will no longer exist.

It was a favourite remark of the celebrated Dr. John Brown2, that “if a student in Physic employed seven years in storing his memory with the accepted, but,—unfortunately, in nine cases out of ten,—imaginary powers of Medicine, he would, if he did not possess very extraordinary sagacity, lose a much longer time in discovering the multiform delusions his medical oracles had imposed upon him—before he ascertains that, with the exception of Mercury for the Lues,—Bark for Intermittents,—and Sulphur for Psora—the Materia Medica does not furnish many Specifics—and may be almost reduced to Evacuants and Stimuli:”—However, these, skilfully administered, afford all the assistance to Nature, that can be obtained from Art!

Let not the uninitiated in Medical Mysteries imagine for a moment, that the Editor desires to depreciate their Importance—but observe once for all—that he has only one reason for writing this Book—which is, to warn you against the ordinary causes of Disorder—and to teach you the easiest and most salutary method of preventing or subduing it, and of recovering and preserving Health and Strength, when, in spite of all your prudence, you are overtaken by sickness, and have no Medical Friend ready to defend you.

Experience has so long proved the actual importance of Training—that Pugilists will not willingly engage without such preparation.

The principal rules for which are,—to go to Bed early—to Rise early—to take as much Exercise as you can in the open air, without fatigue—to Eat and Drink moderately of plain nourishing Food—and especially,—to keep the Mind diverted3, and in as easy and cheerful a state as possible.

Somewhat such a system is followed at the fashionable watering places—and great would be the improvement of Health that would result from it,—if it was not continually counteracted, by visits to the Ball Room4 and the Card Table.

A residence in the Country will avail little, if you carry with you there, the irregular habits, and late hours of fashionable Life.

Do not expect much benefit from mere change of Air—the purest breezes of the country will produce very little effect, unless accompanied by plenty of regular Exercise5—Temperance—and, above all, Tranquillity of Mind.—See Obs. on “Air” and “Exercise.”

The following is a brief sketch of the