LECTURE I.

PART I. DIET.

Introductory remarks.

Errors in respect to the Causes and Cure of Nervous Complaints. Objections against living by rule. Objections against dietetic rules. Proper quantity of Food.

GENTLEMEN,

The premature prostration and early decay of students and professional men in our country, excite a deep interest in the mind of every friend to learning and humanity, to trace out the causes and the remedy. Time was, when it was generally thought, that this was but the dismal spectre of melancholly minds: but Too many budding the fact is no longer doubted. hopes have been blasted; too many wrecks are strewed around us, to suffer the reality to be hidden any longer. And now the solicitous enquiries are, what is the cause, and what is the remedy? To answer these questions is my object in addressing the members of this Institution. I have formerly made a slight and feeble extempore effort of this kind; but I wish now to examine it more systematically, more extensively, and more leisurely. I make no pretensions to professional knowledge on this subject, nor do I mean to invade the

province of the physician. But a conflict of more than twenty years with the debility and prostration of which I have now spoken, has compelled me to pay not a little attention to the means of resisting the foe, and taught me, experimentally, not a few of his insidious and ever varying modes of attack. Whatever I have thus learned, I feel desirous of communicating to the young gentlemen of this College, in the hope that it may tend to prevent their falling into the hands of the inexorable tyrant, to whose car I have so long been fettered: but from which I am confident I might long ago have escaped, had some kind friend plainly pointed out to me my danger and the remedies. Let this be my apology for great plainness and earnestness. The premature decay and prostration, of which I have spoken, result, most usually, from what is generally called dyspepsy, or bilious, or nervous disorders. And I would here state an important principle in relation to them; viz. that essentially the same means that will cure, will prevent these complaints. same general rules in regard to diet, exercise, and employment, will apply both to the prevention and the cure. In the latter case, it only requires a more rigid and unremitting application of these rules.

The

This leads me to premise another most important fact on this subject; viz. that the prevention of nervous maladies, is vastly easier than their cure. They are not so incurable, I believe, as is commonly thought: Still, where they have made an impression on the constitution considerably deep, it requires so long and so strict an attention to rules, that few have the resolution and the perseverance requisite to success. And besides, when a cure has been effected, a recurrence to former habits, or a little extra exer

tion, is extremely apt to bring the system again under their power. The chief hope, therefore, lies in prevention and on this account I feel particularly solic itous, that every young man, while yet he is tolerably free from dyspeptic habits, should be made acquainted with his dangers, that he may guard against them.

There can be no doubt that we are to impute the alarming prevalence of nervous complaints, in a great measure, to the ignorance that has so extensively prevailed among students, in the early stages of education, as to their causes, remedies, and means of prevention. This has been a part of education, which it has been the custom to neglect, and thus to leave the health of the young, the very foundation of all their hopes, to take care of itself. We have yet

scarcely got rid of the belief, not long since so prevalent, that nervous ailments were the creatures of imagination, and that it is even unsafe to study into their nature, lest we should catch the mysterious contagion from the mere description. Just as if knowledge, which, on every other subject, is the pole star of human conduct, should in this case, prove a mere ignis fatuus to bewilder and blind, while ignorance would be security and bliss. But though such absurdities are vanishing, still the means are not yet put into the hands of the student for guarding himself against the insidious approaches of ill health. He knows only, in general, that temperance and exercise are necessary for him, and that excessive study is injurious: But when he comes to apply these principles to practice, it is easy to see, that he knows so little of their details, that they are really worse than useless. He may be a glutton; and his exercise, from the time or manner in which it is taken, may be an injury instead

of a benefit; and his studies may be conducted in a way most fatal to health, while he supposes himself rigidly adhering to the principles mentioned above.

Hence we see the necessity of attending to this subject thoroughly and minutely. The smallest circumstances must not be passed, over; since it is such circumstances, operating slowly, that more commonly undermine the constitution, than any great and sudden violation of the rules of regimen. On this account, I shall be under the necessity of devoting several lectures to this subject. If, however, any one should consider them too long and tedious, he can use the liberty which a general invitation gives him, of withdrawing whenever he pleases: since, as these lectures are wholly gratuitous and unsolicited, no one is required to be present.

But merely to bring the truth on this subject before the minds of students, is by no means the most difficult part of the work to be performed. While men are in tolerable health, it is next to impossible to convince them that the minute rules which physicians prescribe for preserving it, are not puerile, inefficient, and unnecessary. To convince them that the continuance of their health depends upon a few ounces more or less of food at their meals; or upon an hour more or less daily, of exercise; or upon the hour of retiring to rest and rising in the morning; or upon a little greater or less application to study; is almost to work a miracle. A feeble man may well enough attend to such minutiæ; but for the healthy to do it, is, in their estimation, to make the constitution effeminate, and bring on the very disorders we are trying to avoid.

Nor is it the most difficult part of the work to con vince the understanding of the necessity of attention

to diet, regimen and employment, for preserving the health. To persuade a person to adopt the necessary habits, for conforming to these rules, is the great difficulty. Here we come directly in contact with appetites and inclinations that have been indulged from infancy. Eat vastly less in quantity than you do-eat of one dish only at a meal-eat little or no animal food -drink much less-drink water-walk ten miles where you now go one-retire early to rest, and rise early -in short, be regular in all things, be temperate in all things. Such are the rules which must be followed by him who would escape the iron reign of dispepsy; and it is easy to see that they aim a separating blow at many darling objects to which animal nature clings. The man will not give them up without a desperate struggle. They are his gods; the objects of a much sincerer worship, than the heathen pays to his idols.

And of all men to bring up to the work of regularity and temperance in living, those, who are already suffering from the incipient attacks of dyspepsy, are the most obstinate. No other class of men are so liable as these to violate the rules of temperance in their daily habits. They will traverse the whole country to find out and consult physicians; and will cheerfully submit to the operation of the most violent emetics and cathartics; but touch their idols-try to make them give up their intemperate habits of eating, drinking and study, and you will find yourself beating the air.

The same feeling in regard to the means of preserving health, prevails to a great extent among those who are already in possession of it. If you recommend to them to resort at certain seasons to a course