Chapter II: Part 2

Our Strength and Spirits are infinitely more exhausted by the exercise of our Mental, than by the labour of our Corporeal faculties--let any person try the effect of _Intense Application_ for a few hours--He will soon find how much his Body is fatigued thereby, although He has not stirred from the Chair He sat on.

Those who are candidates for Health--must be as circumspect in the task they set their mind,--as in the exercise they give to their Body.

Dr. ARMSTRONG, the Poet of Health, observes,

"'Tis _the great Art of_ LIFE to manage well
The restless Mind."

The grand secret seems to be, to contrive that the exercise of the Body, and that of the Mind, may serve as relaxations to each other.

Over Exertion, or Anxiety of Mind, disturbs Digestion infinitely more than any fatigue of Body--the Brain demands a much more abundant supply of the Animal Spirits, than is required for the excitement of mere Legs and Arms.

"'Tis the Sword that wears out the Scabbard."

Of the two ways of fertilizing the Brain--by Sleep, or by Spirituous Stimulus--(for some write best in the Morning, others when wound up with Wine, after Dinner or Supper:) the former is much less expensive--and less injurious to the constitution than either Port, or Brandy, whose aid it is said that some of our best Authors have been indebted to, for their most brilliant productions.

Calling one day on a literary friend, we found him reclining on a Sofa--on expressing our concern to find him indisposed, he said, "No, I was only _hatching_,--I have been writing till I was quite tired--my paper must go to Press to day--so I was taking my usual restorative--_A Nap_--which if it only lasts five minutes, so refreshes my Mind--that my Pen goes to work again spontaneously."

Is it not better _Economy of Time_, to go to sleep for half an hour,--than to go on noodling all day in a nerveless and semi-superannuated state--if not asleep, certainly not effectively Awake--for any purpose requiring the Energy of either the Body, or the Mind.

"_A Forty Winks Nap_," in an horizontal posture, is the best preparative for any extraordinary exertion of either.

Those who possess, and employ the powers of the Mind most--seldom attain the greatest Age[25]:--see BRUNAUD _de L'Hygiene des Gens de Lettres, Paris_, 8vo. 1819:--the Envy their Talent excites,--the Disappointment they often meet with in their expectations of receiving the utmost attention and respect, (which the world has seldom the gratitude to pay them while they live,) keep them in a perpetual state of irritation and disquiet--which frets them prematurely to their Grave[26].

_To rest a whole Day_--under great fatigue of either Body or Mind, is occasionally extremely beneficial--it is impossible to regulate Sleep by the hour;--when the Mind and the Body have received all the refreshment which Sleep can give, people cannot lie in Bed, and till then, they should not Rise[27].

"Preach not me your musty Rules
Ye Drones, that mould in idle cell;
The Heart is wiser than the Schools,
The Senses always reason well."

COMUS.

Our Philosophical Poet here gives the best practical maxim on the subject for Valetudinarians--who, by following his advice, may render their Existence, instead of a dull unvaried round of joyless, useless self-denial,--a circle of agreeable sensation;--for instance, go not to your Bed till You are tired of sitting up--then remain in an Horizontal posture,--till You long to change it for a Vertical: thus, by a little management, the inevitable business of Life may be converted into a source of continual Enjoyment.

All-healing Sleep soon neutralizes the corroding caustic of Care--and blunts even the barbed arrows of the marble-hearted Fiend, Ingratitude.

When the Pulse is almost paralysed by Anxiety,--half an hour's repose, will cheer the circulation, restore tranquillity to the perturbed spirit--and dissipate those heavy clouds of _Ennui_, which sometimes threaten to eclipse the brightest Minds, and best Hearts.--Child of Woe, lay thy Head on thy pillow, (instead of thy Mouth to the bottle,) and bless me for directing Thee to the true source of Lethe--and most sovereign _Nepenthé_ for the Sorrows of Human Life.

The Time requisite to restore the waste occasioned by the action of the Day--depends on the activity of the habits, and on the Health of the Individual,--in general it cannot be less than Seven--and need not be more than Nine hours[28].

Invalids will derive much benefit from indulging in the _Siesta_ whenever they feel languid.

A Sailor will tell you, that a Seaman can sleep as much in five hours, as a Landsman can in ten.

Whether rising very early lengthens Life we know not,--but think that sitting up very late shortens it,--and recommend you to rise by eight, and retire to rest by eleven; your feelings will bear out the adage, that "_one_ Hour's rest before midnight, is worth _two_ after."

When OLD PEOPLE have been examined with a view to ascertain the causes of their Longevity, they have uniformly agreed in one thing only,--that they ALL _went to Bed early, and rose early_.

"Early to bed, and early to rise,
Will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise."

Dr. FRANKLIN published an ingenious Essay on the advantage of early rising--He called it "_an Economical Project_," and calculated, that the saving that might be made in the City of Paris, _by using Sunshine instead of Candles_--at no less than £4,000,000 Sterling.

If the Delicate, and the nervous, the very Young, or the very Old--sit up beyond their usual hour, they feel the want of artificial aid, to raise their spirits to what is no more than the ordinary pitch of those who are in the vigour of their Life--and must fly from the festive board--or purchase a few hours of hilarity at the heavy price of Head-Ach and Dyspepsia for many days after; and a terrible exasperation of any Chronic Complaint they are afflicted with.

When the Body and Mind are both craving repose--to force their action, by the spur of spirituous stimulus, is the most extravagant waste of the "VIS VITÆ," that Fashion ever invented to consume her foolish Votaries--for Fools they certainly are, who mortgage the comfort of a Week, for the conviviality of an Hour--with the certainty of their term of Life being speedily foreclosed by Gout, Palsy, &c.

Among the most distressing miseries of this "Elysium of Bricks and Mortar," may be reckoned how rarely we enjoy "the sweets of a Slumber unbroke."

Sound passes through the thin PARTY WALLS of modern Houses, (_which of the first rate, at the_ FIRE PLACE, _are only four inches in thickness_;) with most unfortunate facility; this is really an evil of the first magnitude,--if You are so unlucky as to have for next door neighbours--fashionable folks who turn night into day, or such as delight in the sublime Economy of Cindersaving, or Cobweb catching,--it is in vain to seek repose, before the former has indulged in the Evening's recreation of raking out the Fire, and has played with the Poker till it has made all the red coals black; or, after _Molidusta_, the Tidy One, has awoke the Morn--with "the Broom, the bonny, bonny Broom."

A determined Dusthunter, or Cindersaver, murders its neighbour's sleep--with as little mercy, as Macbeth did Malcolm's--and bangs doors, and rattles Window shutters, till the "Earth trembles, and Air is aghast!"

All attempts to conciliate a Savage who is in this fancy--will be labour in vain--the arrangement of its fire[29] is equally the occupation of the morning, and the amusement of the evening; the preservation of a Cinder and the destruction of a Cobweb, are the main business of its existence:--the best advice we can give you, gentle Reader--is to send it this little Book--and beseech it to place the following pages opposite to its Optic nerves some morning--after you have diverted it from Sleep every half hour during the preceding Night[30].

Counsellor SCRIBBLEFAST, a Special Pleader, who lived on a ground-floor in the Temple--about the time that Sergeant PONDER who dwelt on the first floor, retired to rest, began to practise his Violoncello, _"And his loud voice in Thunder spoke."_--The Student above--by way of giving him a gentle hint, struck up _"Gently strike the warbling Lyre,"_ and Will. Harmony's favourite Hornpipes of _"Dont Ye,"_ and _"Pray be Quiet:"_ however, the _dolce_ and _pianissimo_ of poor PONDER produced no diminution of the _prestissimo_ and _fortissimo_ of the indefatigable SCRIBBLEFAST.

PONDER, prayed "silence in the Court," and complained in most pathetic terms--but, alas! his "_lowly suit and plaintive ditty_" made not the least impression on him who was beneath him.--He at length procured a set of Skettles, and as soon as his musical neighbour had done fiddling, he began _con strepito_, and bowled away merrily till the morning dawned.--The enraged Musician did not wait long after daylight, to put in his plea against such proceedings, and received in reply, that such exercise had been ordered by a Physician, as the properest Paregoric, after being disturbed by the thorough Bass of the Big Fiddle below--this soon convinced the tormentor of Catgut, who dwelt on the Ground-Floor, that He could not annoy his superior with Impunity, and produced silence on both sides.

People are very unwisely inconsiderate how much it is their own Interest to attend to the comforts of their Neighbours, for which we have a divine command "to love our neighbour as ourself." "_Sic utere tuo, ut alienum non lædas_," is the maxim of our English law. Interrupting one's Sleep is as prejudicial to Health, as any of the nuisances Blackstone enumerates as actionable.

The majority of the _Dogs_,--_Parrots_,--_Piano-Fortes_, &c. in this Metropolis, are _Actionable Nuisances_!!!

However inferior in rank and fortune, &c. your next door neighbour may be--there are moments when He may render you the most valuable service.--"A Lion owed his life to the exertions of a Mouse."

Those who have not the power to please--should have the discretion not to offend;--the most humble may have opportunities to return a Kindness, or resent an Insult.

It is Madness to wantonly annoy any one.

There is plenty of Time for the performance of all offensively noisy operations, between 10 in the Morning and 10 at Night--during which the industrious Housemaid may indulge her Arms in their full swing--and while she polishes her black-leaded grate to the lustre which is so lovely in the eyes of "_the Tidy_," the TAT-TOO her brush strikes up against its sides may be performed without distressing the irritable ears of her Nervous Neighbours--to whom _undisturbed Repose is the most Vital Nourishment_.

_Little Sweep Soot Ho_ is another dreadful disturber.--The shrill screaming of these poor boys, "making night hideous," (indeed at any time) at five or six o'clock in cold dark weather, is a most barbarous custom, and frequently disturbs a whole street before they rouse the drowsy sluggard who sent for him--his _Row dy Dow_ when he reaches the top of the Chimney, and his progress down again, awaken the soundest sleepers, who often wish, that, instead of the Chimney,--he was smiting the skull of the Barbarian who set the poor Child to work at such an unseasonable hour.

The Editor's feelings are tremblingly alive on this subject.

"Finis coronat opus."

However soundly he has slept during the early part of the night--if the finishing Nap in the morning is interrupted from continuing to its natural termination--his whole System is shook by it, and all that sleep has before done for him, is undone in an instant;--he gets up distracted and languid, and the only part of his head that is of any use to him, is the hole between his Nose and Chin.

The firm Health of those who live in the Country, arises not merely from breathing a purer Air,--but from quiet and regular habits, especially the enjoyment of plenty of undisturbed Repose,--this enables them to take Exercise, which gives them an Appetite, and by taking their food at less distant and more equally divided intervals--they receive a more regular supply of that salutary nourishment, which is necessary to restore the wear of the system, and support it in an uniform state of excitement,--equally exempt from the languor of inanition, and the fever of repletion.

Thus, the Animal Functions are performed with a perfection and regularity, the tranquillity of which, in the incessantly irregular habits of a Town-life, is continually interrupted,--some ridiculous Anxiety or other consumes the Animal Spirits, and the important process of Restoration is imperfectly performed.

_Dyspeptic and Nervous disorders_, and an inferior degree of both extensive and intensive Life[31] are the inevitable consequence, and are the lowest price for (what are called) _the Pleasures of Fashionable Society_.

Dr. Cadogan has told us (very truly) that Chronic diseases, (and we may add, most of those equivocal Disorders, which are continually teasing people, but are too insignificant to induce them to institute a medical process to remove them,) are caused by Indolence--Intemperance--and Vexation.

It is the fashion to refer all these Disorders to Debility--but Debility is no more than the effect of Indolence, Intemperance, and Vexation--the two first are under our own immediate control--and Temperance, Industry, and Activity, are the best remedies to prevent, or remove the Debility which reduces our means of resisting the third.

During _the Summer_ of Life[32], _i. e._ the second period of it, (see page 34,) while we hope that every thing may come right, the Heart bounds with vigour, and the Vital flame burns too brightly to be much, or long subdued by vexation.

This originally least cause, soon becomes the greatest, and in _the Autumn_ of our existence, when Experience has dissipated the theatric illusion with which Hope varnished the expectations of our earlier days, we begin to fear that every thing will go wrong.

"The whips and scorns of Time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despis'd Love, the Law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes."

The insatiable ruling passions of the second and third periods of Life,--Ambition and Avarice,--the loss of our first and best friends, our Parents,--regret for the past, and anxiety about the future, prevent the enjoyment of the present,--and are _the cause of those Nervous and Bilious Disorders_, which attack most of us at the commencement of the third period of Life--these _precursors of Palsy and Gout_, may generally be traced to Disappointments and Anxiety of mind[33]; and

People need not groan about the Insanities and Absurdities of others--it is surely quite sufficient to suffer for our own, of which most of us have plenty--we ought to endeavour to convert those of others, into causes of comfort and consolation, instead of fretting about them--if you receive rudeness in return for civility--and ingratitude for kindness, it may move your Pity--but should never excite your Anger--instead of murmuring at Heaven for having created such Crazy Creatures! be fervently thankful that you are not equally inconsistent and ridiculous--and Pray, that your own Mind, may not be afflicted with the like aberrations.

_Indigestion_[34], is the chief cause of perturbed Sleep, and often excites the imaginary presence of that troublesome Bedfellow _the Nightmare_. On this subject see _Peptic Precepts_ (Index.)

Some cannot Sleep if they eat any Supper--and certainly the lighter this meal is, the better--Others, need not put on their Night cap, if they do not first bribe their Stomachs to good behaviour by a certain quantity of Bread and Cheese and Beer, &c. &c., and go to Bed almost immediately after.

As to the wholesomeness of _a Solid Supper, per se_, we do not think it advisable,--but habit may have made it indispensable, and we know it is often the most comfortable Meal among the middle ranks of Society, who have as large a share of Health as any.

We caution _Bad sleepers_ to beware how they indulge in the habit of exciting sleep, by taking any of the preparations of _Opium_--they are all injurious to the Stomach--and often inconvenient in their effects upon the Bowels:--

"REPOSE _by small fatigue is earned_, and Weariness can snore upon the flint, when nesty Sloth, finds a down pillow hard."

As there can be no good _Digestion_ without diligent _Mastication_,--so there can be no sound _Sleep_, without sufficient _Exercise_.

_The most inoffensive and agreeable Anodyne_ is to drink some good White Wine, or Mulled Wine, by way of a supplement to your Night cap.--One glass, taken when in Bed, immediately before lying down, is as effective as two or three if you sit up any time after.--(See _Tewahdiddle_, No. 467.)

Many people, if awoke during their first sleep, are unsettled all that night--and uncomfortable and nervous the following day.--The first sleep of those who eat Suppers, commonly terminates when the food passes from the Stomach.--Invalids then awake, and sometimes remain so, in a Feverish state,--the Stomach feeling discontented from being unoccupied, and having nothing to play with:--a small crust of Bread, or a bit of Biscuit well chewed, accompanied or not, as Experience and Instinct will suggest, with a few mouthsful of Mutton or Beef Broth (No. 564), or Toast and Water (No. 463*), or single Grog[35], (_i. e._ one Brandy to nine Waters), will often restore its tranquillity, and catch Sleep again, which nothing invites so irresistibly, as introducing something to the Stomach,--that will entertain it, without fatiguing it.

We have heard persons say they have been much distressed by an intemperate craving for Food when they awoke out of their first sleep, and have not got to sleep soundly again after--and risen in the morning as tired as when they went to bed at night--but without any appetite for Breakfast--such will derive great benefit from the foregoing Advice.

_A Broth_ (No. 564), _or Gruel_ (No. 572) _Supper_, is perhaps the best for the Dyspeptic,--and those who have eaten and drank plentifully at Dinner.

THE BED ROOM should be in the quietest situation possible, as it were "_the Temple of Silence_,"--and, if possible, not less than 16 feet square--the height of this Apartment, _in which we pass almost half of our Time_, is in modern houses absurdly abridged, to increase that of the Drawing Room, which is often not occupied once in a month:--instead of living in the pleasant part of the House, where they might enjoy Light and Air, how often we find people squeezing themselves into "a nice snug Parlour," where Apollo cannot spy.

We do not recommend either _Curtains_ or _Tester_, &c. to the BED, especially during the Summer;--by the help of these, those who might have the benefit of the free circulation of air in a large Room, very ingeniously contrive to reduce it to a small Closet:--_Chimney-Boards_ and _Window-Curtains_ are also inadmissible in a Bed Room; but Valetudinarians who are easily awoke, or very susceptible of Cold, will do wisely to avail themselves of well made _Double[36] Windows and Doors_, these exclude both Noise and Cold in a very considerable degree.

_The best Bed_ is a well stuffed and well curled _Horsehair Mattress_, six inches thick at the Head, gradually diminishing to three at Feet, on this another Mattress five or six inches in thickness: these should be unpicked and exposed to the air, once every Year. An elastic Horsehair mattress, is incomparably the most pleasant, as well as the most wholesome Bed.

_Bed Rooms_ should be thoroughly ventilated by leaving both the Window and the Door open every day when the weather is not cold or damp--during which the Bed should remain unmade, and the Clothes be taken off and spread out for an hour, at least, before the Bed is made again.

_In very Hot Weather_, the temperature becomes considerably cooler every minute after ten o'clock--between eight o'clock and twelve, the Thermometer often falls in Sultry weather--from ten to twenty degrees--and those who can sit up till twelve o'clock, will have the advantage of sleeping in an Atmosphere many degrees cooler, than those who go to bed at ten:--this is extremely important to Nervous Invalids--who however extremely they may suffer from heat, we cannot advise to sleep with the smallest part of the window open during the night--in such sultry days, the _Siesta_ (see page 94,) will not only be a great support against the heat, but will help You to sit up to enjoy the advantage above stated.

_A Fire in the Bed Room_, is sometimes indispensable--but not as usually made--it is commonly lighted only just before bed-time, and prevents Sleep by the noise it makes, and the unaccustomed stimulus of its light.

Chimneys frequently smoke when a fire is first lighted, particularly in snowy and frosty weather; and an Invalid has to encounter not only the damp and cold of the Room--but has his Lungs irritated with the sulphureous puffs from the fresh lighted Fire.

A Fire should be lighted about three or four hours before, and so managed that it may burn entirely out half an hour before you go to Bed--then the air of the room will be comfortably warmed--and certainly more fit to receive an Invalid who has been sitting all day in a parlour as hot as an Oven,--than a damp chamber, that is as cold as a Well.

THE SIESTA.

The Power of _Position_ and _Temperature_ to alleviate the Paroxysms of many Chronic Disorders, has not received the consideration it deserves--a little attention to the variations of the Pulse, will soon point out the effect they produce on the Circulation, &c.--_extremes of Heat and Cold_, with respect to Food, Drink, and Air, are equally to be guarded against.

_Old and Cold Stomachs_--The Gouty--and those whose Digestive Faculties are Feeble--should never have any thing _Cold_[37], or _Old_, put into them--especially in Cold Weather.

_Food must take the temperature of our Stomach_, (which is probably not less than 120,) _before Digestion can commence_.

When the Stomach is feeble, _Cold Food_ frequently produces Flatulence--Palpitation of the Heart, &c.--and all the other troublesome accompaniments of Indigestion.--The immediate remedy for these is Hot Brandy and Water, and the horizontal Posture.

_Dyspeptic Invalids_ will find 75 a good temperature for their drink at Dinner, and 120 for Tea, &c.

Persons who are in a state of Debility from Age,--or other causes,--will derive much benefit from laying down, and seeking Repose whenever they feel fatigued, especially during (the first half-hour at least of) the business of Digestion--and will receive almost as much refreshment from half an hour's Sleep--as from Half a Pint of Wine.

_The Restorative influence of the recumbent Posture_, cannot be conceived--the increased energy it gives to the circulation, and to the organs of Digestion, can only be understood by those Invalids who have experienced the comforts of it.

_The Siesta_ is not only advisable, but indispensable to those whose occupations oblige them to keep late hours.

ACTORS especially, whose profession is, of all others, the most fatiguing--and requires both the Mind and the Body to be in the most intense exertion between 10 and 12 o'clock at Night,--should avail themselves of the _Siesta_--which is the true source of Energy--half an hour's repose in the horizontal posture, is a most beneficial Restorative.

_Good Beef Tea_[38], (No. 563), with a little bit of slightly toasted Bread taken about nine o'clock--is a comforting restorative, which will support You through exertions that, without such assistance, are exhausting--and you go to bed fatigued--get up fevered, &c.

When Performers feel _Nervous, &c._--and fear the circulation is below _Par_,--and too languid to afford the due excitement, half an hour before they sing, &c.--they will do wisely, to wind up their System, with a little "_Balsamum Vitæ_."--See "PEPTIC PRECEPTS."--Or tune their throats to the pitch of healthy vibration with a small glass of JOHNSON'S[39] "_Witte Curacoa_," see (No. 474) and Index, a glass of Wine, or other stimulus.--

To "Wet your Whistle," is occasionally, as absolutely necessary, as "to rosin the Bow of a Violin."--See "Observations on Vocal Music," prefixed to the Opera of _Ivanhoe_.

ACTORS and SINGERS are continually assailed by a variety of circumstances extremely unfavourable to Health--especially from sitting up late at night--to counteract which, we recommend _the Siesta_, and plenty of Exercise in a pure Air.

When they feel _Nervous_--_Bilious, &c. i. e._ that their whole System is so deranged by fatigue and anxiety, that they cannot proceed effectively and comfortably,--they must give their Throats two or three days' rest--cleanse the Alimentary Canal with Peristaltic Persuaders--see Index--and corroborate the Organs of Digestion with the Tonic Tincture (No. 569), see Index.

Strong PEPPERMINT LOZENGES, made by SMITH, Fell Street, Wood Street, Cheapside, are very convenient portable Carminatives:--as soon as they are dissolved, their influence is felt from the beginning to the end of the Alimentary Canal--they dissipate Flatulence so immediately, that they well deserve the name of _Vegetable Ether_; and are recommended to SINGERS and PUBLIC SPEAKERS--as giving effective excitement to the Organs of Voice--as a support against the distressing effects of Fasting too long--and to give energy to the Stomach between Meals.

THE POWER OF THE VOICE depends upon the vigorous state of the circulation supplying the Organs of Voice, with energy to execute the intentions of the Singer or Speaker--without which--the most accurate Ear and experienced Throat, will sometimes fail in producing the exact quality and quantity of Tone they intend.

That the VOICE is sometimes _too Flat_, or _too Sharp, &c._ is not a matter of astonishment--to those who really understand how arduous a task Singers have sometimes to perform;--it would only be wonderful if it was not--how is the Throat exempted from those collapses which occasionally render imperfect the action of every other fibre and function of our Body?

The _Dyspeptic_, who Tries the effect of Recumbency after Eating,--will soon be convinced that _Tristram Shandy_ was right enough, when he said, that "both pain, and pleasure, are best supported in an horizontal posture."

"If after Dinner the Poppies of repletion shed their influence on thy Eyelids--indulge thou kind Nature's hint."--"A quiet slumber in a comfortable warm room, favoureth the operation of Digestion--and thou shalt rise, refreshed, and ready for the amusements of the Evening."

The _Semi-Siesta_ is a pleasant position--(_i. e._ putting up the feet on a stool about eight inches high;) but catching a nap in a Chair is advisable only as a substitute when the Horizontal posture is not convenient--when you can, lie down on a Sofa--loosen all ligatures--and give your Bowels fair play.

These opinions,--which are the results of Personal experience--are exactly in unison with those of the following Medical Professors.

"From Eating comes Sleep--from Sleep Digestion."--SANCTORIUS, Sec. iv. Aph. 59.

"Perhaps one of the uses of Sleep, and of the horizontal posture during that period--may be to facilitate the introduction of Chyle into the Blood."--CRUICKSHANK _on the Absorbents_, p. 95.

"The Brute Creation invariably lay down and enjoy a state of rest, the moment their stomachs are filled. People who are feeble, digest their Dinner best, if they lie down and sleep as most Animals do, when their stomachs are full."--DARWIN'S _Zoonomia_, vol. iv. p. 137.

"Dr. HARWOOD, Professor of Anatomy at Cambridge, took two pointers who were equally hungry, and fed them equally well,--_one_ he suffered to follow the promptings of Instinct--curled himself round till he was comfortable--and went to sleep, as animals generally do after eating--the _other_ was kept for about two hours in constant exercise. On his return home--the two Dogs were killed.--In the Stomach of the _one_ who had been quiet and asleep, all the food was digested; in the Stomach of _the other_, that process was hardly begun."

"Quiet of Body and Mind for two hours after Dinner, is certainly useful to the Studious, the Delicate, and the Invalid."--ADAIR _on Diet_, p. 44.

"After Dinner, rest for three hours."--ABERNETHY'S _Surgical Obs_. 8vo. 1817, p. 93.

"After Dinner sit a while."--_Eng. Prov._

"If you have a strong propensity to Sleep after Dinner--indulge it, the process of Digestion goes on much better during Sleep, and I have always found an irresistible propensity to it--whenever Dyspeptic symptoms were considerable."--WALLER _on Incubus_, 1816, p. 109.

"Aged Men--and weake bodies, a short _Sleepe_ after Dinner doth help to nourish."--LORD BACON'S _Nat. Hist. Cent._ I. 57.

CLOTHES.

Of all the Customs of Clothing, the most extremely absurd is the usual arrangement of _Bed Clothes_, which in order as the chambermaid fancies to make the Bed look pretty in the Day time--are left long at the head, that they may cover the Pillows; when they are turned down, You have an intolerable load on your Lungs, and that part of the Body which is most exposed during the day--is smothered at night--with double the quantity of Clothes that any other part has.

Sleep is prevented by an unpleasant degree of either Heat or Cold; and in this ever-varying climate, where often "in one monstrous day all seasons mix," delicate Thermometrical persons will derive much comfort from keeping a Counterpane in reserve for an additional covering _in very Cold Weather:_ when some extra clothing is as needful by Night,--as a great coat is by Day.

A Gentleman who has a mind to carry the adjustment of his Clothes to a nicety--may have the shelves of his Wardrobe numbered 30, 40, 50, 60, &c. and according to the degree of Cold pointed to by his Fahrenheit[40], he may wear a corresponding defence against it:--This mode of adjusting Dress according to the vicissitudes of the weather, &c. is as rational as the ordinary practice of regulating it by the Almanack, or the Fashion, which in this uncertain Climate and capricious Age--will as often lead us wrong, as right.

Leave off your Winter Clothes late in the Spring;--put them on early in the Autumn. By wearing your Winter Clothes during the first half dozen warm days--You get some fine perspirations--which are highly salutary in removing obstructions in the cutaneous pores, &c.

_Delicate and Dyspeptic persons are often distressed by changing their Dress_,--which must be as uniform as possible,--in thickness--in quality--and in form,--especially (Flannel, or indeed) whatever is worn next to the Skin.

The change of a thick Waistcoat for a thin one--or a long one for a shorter one--not putting on Winter garments soon enough, or leaving them off too soon,--will often excite a violent disorder in the Lungs--or Bowels, &c. and exasperate any constitutional complaint.

Those who wear _Flannel Waistcoats_, are recommended to have their new ones about the middle of November, with sleeves to them coming down to the wrist--the shortening these sleeves in the warm weather, is as effective an antidote against extreme Heat--as lengthening them, and closing the Cuff of the Coat, is against intense Cold.

Our COAT[41] should be made so large--that when buttoned we may be as easy as when it is unbuttoned, so that without any unpleasant increase of pressure on the Chest, &c. we can wear it closely buttoned up to the Chin--the power of doing this is a convenient provision against the sudden alternations from heat to cold--buttoning up this outer garment, will protect the delicate from many mischiefs which so often arise in this inconstant climate from the want of such a defence; and the additional warmth it produces will often cure slight Colds, &c.

Another way of accumulating Caloric, is to have two sets of button holes to the CUFF of the Coat, (especially of your Great Coat,) one of which will bring it quite close round the wrist.

When the Circulation is languid, and your _Feet are Cold_--wear worsted Stockings, have your Shoes well warmed--and when you take them from the Fire--put your Slippers[42] to it--that they may be warm and comfortable for you on your return home.

_In Wet Weather_ wear Shoes with double upper-leathers--- two thin leathers will keep you much drier than one thick one, and are more pliable--the Currier's Dubbing is the best nourisher of Leather--and renders it as soft as satin, and impervious to Water.

The mean temperature of England is about 50 degrees of Fahrenheit--it sometimes rises 25 degrees above this, in the height of Summer,--falls about as much below, in the depth of Winter--and in Summer frequently varies from 20 to 30 degrees between Mid-day and Midnight.

_The restoration, and the preservation of the Health, especially of those who have passed their_ FORTIETH _Year_,--depends upon minute and unremitting attentions to Food,--Clothes,--Exercise, &c. which taken singly may appear trifling--but combined, are of infinite importance.

"_If you are careful of it, Glass will last as long as Iron._" By a regular observance of a few salutary precepts, a delicate Constitution will last as long, and afford its Proprietor as many Amusements, as a Strong Body,--whose Mind takes but little care of it.

Invalids are advised to put on a Great Coat when they go out, and the temperature of the external air is not higher than 40. Some susceptible Constitutions require this additional clothing when the Thermometer falls below 50; especially at the commencement of the Cold weather.

A GREAT COAT must be kept in a Room where there is a Fire,--if it has been hung up in a cold damp Hall, as it often is, it will contribute about as much to your Calorification,--as if You wrapped a Wet Blanket about You.

_Clothes_ should be warm enough to defend us from Cold[43],--and large[44] enough to let every movement be made with as much ease when they are on,--as when they are off.

Those whose employments are sedentary,--especially hard Students--who often neglect taking sufficient Exercise[45], suffer extremely from the pressure of tight _Waistbands_--_Garters, &c._ which are the cause of many of the mischiefs that arise from long sitting--during which they should be loosened.

_Braces_ have been generally considered a great improvement in modern dress--because they render the pressure of the Waistband unnecessary, which when extremely close is certainly prejudicial--but we have always thought they have produced more inconvenience than they have removed--for if the inferior Viscera get thereby more freedom of action--the superior suffer for it--and, moreover, _Ruptures_ are much more frequent--the Girdle which formerly prevented them being removed,--and, instead of that useful and partial horizontal pressure, in spite of the elastic springs which have been attached to the Braces, the whole body is grievously oppressed by the Vertical Bands.

The best material for Breeches, is the elastic worsted stocking stuff.

_Tight Stays_--and _Braces_--obstruct the circulation of the Blood, &c. are the cause of many Chronic Complaints, and often create Organic Diseases[46].

FIRE.

As we advance in Age--the force of the circulation being lessened, the warmth of our Clothes and our coverings at night should be gradually increased. "After the age of 35, it may be better to exceed, rather than be deficient in clothing."--ADAIR'S _Cautions_, p. 390.

Cold often kills the infirm and the aged, and is the proximate cause of most Palsies;--it is extremely desirable that Bed and Sitting Rooms for Winter occupation, should have a Southern aspect--when the Thermometer is below 30, the proper place for people beyond 60, is their own Fire-side:--many of the disorders and Deaths of persons at this period of Life--originate from irregularity in Diet, Temperature, &c. by Dining out, and frisking about, joining in Christmas Gambols, &c. in Cold weather.

_The Art of making a room comfortably warm_, does not consist merely in making a very large Fire in it--but depends as much on the keeping of cold air out--this is best done by _Double Windows_, see page 91, and double Doors,--at least take care that your Sashes fit close,--that the beads of the window frames are tight--stop the aperture between the skirting boards and the floor with putty--and list the Doors.

We suppose it almost needless to say that every room in the house should be thoroughly ventilated[47] by a current of fresh Air--at least once every day, when the weather is not very damp--or cold. By making a Fire accordingly--this may be done almost every Day in the Year.

If You leave the Door open for _Five_ minutes--it will let in more cold air than your Fire can make warm in _Fifteen_--therefore, initiate your Domestics in these first principles of the _Economy of Caloric_,--and when the Weather is cold, caution them to keep Doors shut.

A regular Temperature may be preserved by a simple contrivance attached to a Thermometer, which will open an aperture to admit the external air--when the apartment is heated above the degree desired (_i. e._ about 60 for common constitutions,) and exclude it when it falls below it.

A Room, which is in constant occupation all day--may be occasionally _pumped_ by moving the door backward and forward for several minutes.

We do not advise Invalids to indulge themselves in heating their rooms to a higher temperature[48] than from 60 to 65.--Those who have resided the best part of their Life in warm climates--will like the latter best. While we recommend the Aged and Infirm to be kept comfortably warm--they must at the same time cautiously avoid excess of heat.

When the Thermometer tells them that the external air is under 60,--whether it be in July, or in January,--those who are susceptible of Cold, must tell their Servants to keep a small fire--especially if the Weather be at the same time damp.

Those who, from caprice, or parsimony,--instead of obeying this comfortable and salutary precept, sit shivering and murmuring, and refuse to employ the Coal-merchant, as a substitute for the Sun--may soon spend in Physic, more than they have saved in Fuel.

By raising the temperature of my Room to about 65, taking a full dose of Epsom Salts, and a Broth Diet, and retiring to rest an hour sooner than usual, I have often very speedily got rid of _Colds_, &c.

The following _Plan of Lighting and managing a Fire_, has been attended with great comfort and convenience to myself, (particularly at the beginning and the end of winter, when a very small fire is sufficient), and I think considerable saving of coals.

Fill your Grate with fresh coals quite up to the upper bar but one, then lay in your faggot of wood in the usual manner, rather collected in a mass, than scattered, that a body of concentrated heat may be produced as soon as possible; over the faggot place the cinders of the preceding day--piled up as high as the grate will admit, and placed loosely in rather large fragments--in order that the draft may be free--a bit or two of fresh coal may be added to the cinders when once they are lighted, but no small coal must be thrown on at first, for the reason above stated:--when all is prepared, light the wood, when the cinders becoming in a short time thoroughly ignited--the gas rising from the coals below, which will now be effected by the heat, will take fire as it passes through them, leaving a very small portion of smoke to go up the Chimney.

The advantage of this mode of lighting a fire is, that small coal is better suited to the purpose than large--except a few pieces in front to keep the small from falling out of the Grate--it may be kept in reserve, to be put on afterwards if wanted. I have frequently known my fire lighted at 8 o'clock in the morning, continue burning till 11 at night, without any thing being done to it: when apparently quite out, on being stirred, you have in a few minutes a glowing fire: it will sometimes be necessary to loosen, or stir slightly the upper part of the fire if it begins to cake--but the lower part must not be touched, otherwise it will burn away too soon.

AIR.

Many Invalids are hurried into their Grave--by the indiscreet kindness of their friends forcing them from the comforts of Home--for the sake of Air more abounding with _Oxygen, i. e._ the vivifying part of the atmosphere:--that great benefit is received from what is _called_ change of air is true enough--it is seldom considered that there is also a change in most of the other circumstances of the patient--many, of infinitely more importance, than that which derives all the credit of the Cure.

For instance, if a person living in a confined part of the City--neglecting exercise, harassed all day by the anxieties of Business, and sitting up late at Night, &c. be removed to the tranquillity of rural scenes, which invite him to be almost constantly taking Exercise in the open Air, and retiring to rest at an early hour--and thus, instead of being surrounded by irritations unfavourable to Health, enjoying all the "_jucunda oblivia vitæ_" which are favourable to it--such a Change will often do wonders, and sufficiently account for the miraculous cures attributed to--_Change of Air_.

Chemical Philosophers assert indeed--that a Gallon of the unsavoury Gas from Garlick Hill, gives as high a proportion of _Oxygen_, as the like quantity of the ethereal element of Primrose Hill:--this seems incredible, and must arise either from the imperfection of the _Eudiometer_ giving erroneous results, or from the air being impregnated with matter unfriendly to Health, which the instruments employed to analyze it, have not the power of denoting:--let any one thread the mazes of a crowded city, and walk for the same space of time in a pleasant Country--the animal spirits will soon testify, which is the most exhilarating.

However, people certainly do live long, and enjoy Health, in situations apparently very unfavourable to Animal Life.

Our Omniscient Creator has given to our Lungs, the same faculty of extracting nutriment from various kinds of Air--as the Stomach has from various kinds of Aliment:--the Poor man who feeds on the coarsest food, is supported by it in as sound Health, as the Rich man who fares sumptuously every day.

Well then, in nine cases out of ten, to change the Atmosphere we have been long accustomed to, is as unadvisable as a change in the Food we have been used to--unless other circumstances make it so, than the mere change of Place.

The Opulent Invalid who has been long indulged with a Home arranged to his humour--must beware (especially during any exacerbation of his infirmity) of leaving it--it would be almost as desperate a procedure as to eject an Oyster from his Shells.

EXERCISE.

"By ceaseless action, all that is subsists,
Constant rotation of the unwearied wheel
That nature rides upon, maintains her health,
Her beauty, her fertility. She dreads an instant's pause,
And lives but while she moves."--COWPER'S _Task_.

"The wise, for Health on EXERCISE depend;
God never made his work for Man to mend."

The more luxuriously you live, the more Exercise[49] you require,--the "_Bon Vivant_" may depend upon the truth of the advice which Sir Charles Scarborough gave to the Duchess of Portsmouth, "You must Eat less,--or take more Exercise[50]--or take Physic,--or be Sick."

Exercise is the grand power to promote the Circulation through the capillary vessels, by which the constitution is preserved from obstructions,--Appetite increased, and Digestion improved in all its stages,--the due distribution of nourishment, invigorates the Nervous System, gives firmness and elasticity to the Muscles, and strength to every part of the System.

Exercise, to have its full effect, must be continued till we feel a sensible degree of _Perspiration_,--(which is the _Panacea for the prevention of Corpulence_)--see page 50--and should, at least once a-day, proceed to the borders of fatigue, but never pass them,--or we shall be weakened instead of strengthened.

Health depends upon perpetual Secretion and Absorption, and Exercise only can produce this.

After Exercise, take care to get cool gradually--when your Head perspires, rub it, and your Face, &c. dry with a cloth:--this is better for the Hair than the best "Bear's Grease," and will beautify the Complexion beyond "_La Cosmétique Royale_," or all the Red and White Olympian Dew that was ever imported.

One of the most important precepts for the preservation of Health, is to take care of _the Skin_[51].

In Winter, the surface of the Body, the Feet, &c. should be washed twice or thrice a Week, with water of the temperature of about 98, and wiped every Day with a wet towel;--_a Tepid Bath_ of the like temperature once a fortnight will also conduce much to both health and comfort. Some advise that the surface of the Body be wiped every morning with a wet sponge, and rubbed dry after, with not too fine a cloth.

WINE.

"Le Vin est l'un des produits de la nature les plus difficiles à
juger et à bien choisir: et les plus habiles gourmets sont souvent
mis en défaut."--_Manuel du Sommelier_, Paris, 1817, p. 1.

Wine, especially Port, is generally twice spoiled--before it is considered fit to be drank!!!

The _Wine-Maker_ spoils it first, by over-loading it with _Brandy_ to make it keep.--

The _Wine-Drinker_ keeps it till time has not only dissipated the superabundant spirit,--but even until the acetous fermentation begins to be evident,--this, it is the taste now to call "_Flavour_,"--and Wine is not liked, till it has lost so much of its exhilarating power, that you may drink a Pint of it, before receiving that degree of excitement,--which the Wine-drinker requires to make him Happy. We mean a legal PINT containing 16 ounces.

The measure of a BOTTLE OF WINE ought to be as definitive, as that of a POT OF PORTER:--is it not astonishing that the Legislature have not ordered _a Standard and Stamped Quart_, for the Wine-merchant--as they have a Pot for the Publican?

This would be equally as desirable to the respectable Wine-merchant,--as to the Public.

It would protect the former against the injurious competition of those who at present, by vending Wine in Bottles of inferior dimension, impose on the unwary purchaser under pretence of selling at a lower than the Market price.

The purchaser of a Dozen Bottles of Wine expects to receive Three
Gallons of Wine.

_Proportions of the Wine Gallon, according to the last
London Pharmacopœia_:--

Gallon. Pints. Fluid Ounces. Drachms. Minims or Drops.
1 = 8 = 128 = 1024 = 61,440

There are 32 ounces in a legal wine quart.
Multiply by 12 quarts in three gallons.
___
384 ounces in ditto.

Measure the number of ounces your bottle holds--divide 384 by it,
and the quotient will give you the number of such bottles required
to contain three gallons of wine.

Some Bottles do not contain more than 26 ounces.

26) 384 (14 Bottles, 1 Pint, and a Quarter.
26
___
124
104
___
20

_Or,_

Multiply 26, _i. e._ the number of ounces
By 12 your bottle will contain.
___
312 the number of ounces
contained in your dozen
bottles, which
Ought to hold 384 the number of ounces in
Subtract 312 Three Gallons.
_________
Divide by the number } 32) 72 (2 Quarts and half a Pint
of ounces in a Quart,} 64 short of measure.
__
8 ounces.

So, instead of THREE GALLONS--you have only _Two Gallons, one Quart,
and a Pint and a half_.

_The Quantity a Bottle will contain_, may easily be accurately ascertained, by LYNES'S _graduated Glass measure_, which holds half a pint, and is divided into ounces, &c.--_it is a convenient vessel to mix_ GROG _in_.

A PIPE OF PORT contains, on the average, 138 Gallons, of which three must be allowed for Lees, &c.--This is enough for waste, if the Wine has been properly fined, and steadily bottled.

A BUTT OF SHERRY contains 130 gallons.
MADEIRA, 110 ditto.
Hogshead of CLARET, 55 ditto.

It is convenient for small Families to have part of their Wine in _Pint Bottles_.

That Wine is much best when quite fresh opened, is a fact it is needless to observe,--half a Pint of Wine (_i. e._ 8 ounces, _i. e._ 4 ordinary wine-glasses) is as much as most people (who have not spoiled their stomachs by intemperance) require.

The Rage for Superannuated Wine,--is one of the most _ridiculous Vulgar Errors of Modern Epicurism_,--"the Bee's Wing," "thick Crust[52] on the Bottle," "loss of strength, &c." which Wine-fanciers consider the Beauty of their tawny favourite, "fine Old Port,"--are forbidding manifestations of decomposition, and the departure of some of the best qualities of the Wine.

The Age[53] of maturity for exportation from Oporto, is said to be the second year after the Vintage, (probably sometimes not quite so long.)

Our Wine-merchants keep it in Wood from two to six years longer, according to its original strength, &c.--surely this must be long enough to do all that can be done by keeping it--what crude Wine it must be to require even this time to ameliorate it--the necessity for which, must arise either from some error in the original manufacture,--or a false taste, which does not relish it, till Time has changed its original characteristics.

_Ordinary Port_ is a very uncleansed, fretful Wine--and experienced judges have assured us, that _the Best Port_ is rather impoverished than improved, by being kept in Bottle longer than Two[54] Years, _i. e._ supposing it to have been previously from two to four years in the Cask in this Country,--observing, that all that the outrageous advocates for "_vin passé_"--really know about it, is, that SHERRY _is Yellow_,--and PORT _is Black_,--and that if they drink enough of either of them,--it will make them Drunk.

WHITE WINES, especially _Sherry_ and _Madeira_, being more perfectly fermented, and thoroughly fined before they are bottled--if kept in a cellar of uniform temperature, are not so rapidly deteriorated by Age.

_The Temperature of a Good Cellar_ is nearly the same throughout the year. _Double Doors_ help to preserve this. It must be dry, and be kept as clean as possible.

_The Art of preserving Wines_, is to keep them from fretting, which is done by keeping them in the same degree of heat, and careful Corking[55]. "If persons wish to preserve the fine flavour of their Wines, they ought _on no account_ to permit any Bacon, Cheese, Onions, Potatoes, or Cider, in their wine-cellars. Or, if there be any disagreeable stench in the Cellar, the wine will indubitably imbibe it; consequently, instead of being fragrant and charming to the nose and palate, it will be extremely disagreeable."--CARNELL _on Wine Making_, 8vo. 1814, p. 124. See also _Manuel du Sommelier, par A. Jullien_, Paris, 1817.

That MADEIRA (if properly matured before) improves in quality by being carried to the _East Indies_ and back, by which Voyage it loses from 8 to 10 Gallons,--or to the _West_, by which about 5 are wasted[56],--however these round-about manœuvres may tickle the fancy of those folks who cannot relish any thing that is not far-fetched, dear-bought, and hard to be had, and to whom rarity is the "_sine qua non_" of recommendation--it is one of those inconvenient prejudices, from which common sense preserve us!

The Vulgar objection to _New Wine_--(by which we mean Wine that has been maturing in Wood two years in Portugal--two in England--and in Bottle more than twelve months), is, that its exhilarating qualities are too abundant, and intoxicate in too small a dose--those "_Bons Vivants_," to whom "the Bottle, the Sun of the table," and who are not in the habit of crying to go home to Bed while they can see it shining,--require Wines weaker than those which are usually imported from Spain and Portugal,--however PORT and SHERRY may be easily reduced to the standard desired by the long-sitter,--"_paululum aceti acetosi_," will give the Acid Goût,--"_aqua pura_" will subdue their Spirit "_ad libitum_,"--and produce _an imitation of the flavour acquired by Age, extempore_--and You can thus very easily make fine fruity nutritious new Wine,--as Light,--and as Old[57],--and as Poor, as you please--and fit it exactly to your customer's palate, whether "_Massa drinky for Drinky,--or drinky for Drunky Massa._"

_To ameliorate very new, or very old Wine_--mix a bottle of the one with a bottle of the other--or to a bottle of very old Port add a glass or two of good new Claret--to very new, a glass of Sherry.

Of all our Senses,--_the Taste_, especially for Liquids, is the most sophisticated Slave of Habit--"De gustibus, non est disputandum."

The Astringent matter, and Alcohol--which render PORT WINE the prop of an Englishman's Heart--are intolerable to the palate of an Italian, or Frenchman.--But a Stomach which has been accustomed to be wound up by the double stimulus of Astringents, and Alcohol also,--will not be content with the latter only,--especially if that be in less quantity--as it is in the _Italian and French Wines_; which, therefore, for the generality of Englishmen, are insufficiently excitant.

He who has been in the habit of drinking PORTER at Dinner,--and PORT after--will feel uncomfortable with _Home-brewed Ale_, and _Claret_.

Mr. ACCUM, the chemist, analyzed for the Editor, some PORT and SHERRY of the finest quality--the PORT[58] yielded 20 per cent--and the SHERRY 19-25 per cent, of ALCOHOL of 825 specific gravity--_i. e._ the strongest Spirit of Wine that can be drawn, full double the strength of BRANDY, which seldom has 40 per Cent, and common GIN[59] not more than 30--or 25.

Some people have a notion that if they go to the Docks, they can purchase a Pipe of Wine for twenty pounds less, than they must pay to a regular Wine Merchant--and, moreover, have it _neat as imported_--as if all Wines of the same _Name_, were of the same Quality.

PORT _varies at Oporto in quality and price as much as_ PORTER _does in London_--it is needless to say how difficult it is to obtain the best Beer at any price--it is quite as difficult to obtain the best Port Wine at Oporto, where the very superior wine is all bought up at a proportionately high price by the agents for the London Wine Merchants.

BRANDIES and WINES _vary in quality quite as much as they do in Price_: not less than twenty pounds per Pipe in the country where they are made.

The only way to obtain genuine wholesome liquor, is to apply to a respectable Wine Merchant--and beg of him to send you the best wine at the regular market price.