Manual of British Rural Sports by Stonehenge 17th Edition

THAININGDIET. G47 tliey are quite inadmissible in an exercise which positively necessitates exposure of the body. It has been long held that for long-continued or fast work sweating medicine is abso­ lutely necessary; and no doubt many of our best runners have used it. I believe, however, in all cases, the hydropathic wet-sheet packing will be found far better for pedestrian pur­ poses. It gives much greater lightness of spirits, more agility of limb, and less tendency to rheumatic stiffness. Letany person make a trial of it, and he will "throw physic to the dogs" ever afterwards, at least for this pur­ pose. It may be used twice, or even thrice a week, before breakfast, and 1^ lb. to 2 lb., or even 3 lb. may be got off each time it is applied. In sweating for pedestrian purposes, the armsand body should beclothed much heavier than the legs. The great ob­ jectis first to unload the great viscera from all fat interfering with their functions, and next toreduce the abso­ lute weight of the whole body above thehips, including theabdomen, chest, neck,and arms, which are all of little use in walking and running, as com­ pared with the legs. It is very easy to apply the wet sheet exclusively to thetrunk and arms, and to clothe the legs only slightly, or only just so much as to prevent a chill. Natural sweating is wholly inadmissible in this kind of training, since it shortens the stride from the quantity of clothing, and makes the pace slow, slovenly, and dull; the choice, therefore, is between the wet-sheet packing and a sweat by a scruple of Dover's powder at night, or half a pint of whey made with white wine, and with 30 drops each of antimonial wine and sweet spirits of nitreadded. This is no doubt a strong sweater, but it upsets the stomach and leaves the skin to be easily chilled. In iiny case, the whole body should be rubbedwith horsehair gloves night and morning. TUB FOLLOWING DIET will, I think, be found the best for all training pur­ poses, except the reduction of weight for riding, to which I have alluded at page 585. where a great restriction must generally be put upon the appetite : BREAKFAST .—There is no doubt that the very best food for this mealis oat­ meal porridge, with the addition of a certain allowance of beef or mutton, and a little bread ; but many have the greatest objection to this diet, and never eat it without loathing. For them, I believe, thenext bestbeverage is a pint of table beer, home-made, and not too strong, a larger allowance of bread being given with it. It is not desirable to stint the appetite unless very enormous, or unless there is a great superabundance of fat; but I believe itwill, inmost cases, be found more advantageous to reduce the weight by workand sweating, thanby starvation. The best modeof dressing the meat is to broil it; andhere I must say a word about the degree of cookery to which it should be subjected. It is generally directed that the steak or chop should be quite underdone ; this, I am sure, is a fallacy. In broiling, very little nutriment is lost, after the outside is once caught by the fire. Now, if nothing is lost, there is much gained by keeping the steak on the gridiron till properly done through : for the food is rendered much more palatable to most, and certainly more digestible to all. I have knownmany who were thoroughly disgusted by their " red-rags," as they have called their underdone steaks, and, from their dislike to such food, werequite unable to digest them. Tea and coffee are not good for training purposes, though I do not think them so bad as is generally supposed, if not taken too strong ; cocoa is toogreasy, andnot so goodas tea—which, if taken, should not be green. I am inclined to think, that in those cases where tea or coffee is habitually taken, and porridge or beer is much disliked, it is better to allow them than to attempt too great an al­ teration in diet. Butter, sauces, and spices should be carefully avoided ; and nothing hut salt, and a very slight dashof black pepper, used as a condiment. DINNER .—This importantmeal should consist of roast beef or mutton, or, occasionally, boiledleg of mutton may be allowed as a change; but veal, pork, and salt beef or bacon should be avoided ; also goose, duck, and wildfowl generally. Roast fowls, or partridges, orpheasants, are very good food. Hare is too apt to be accompanied by high-seasoned stuffing, without which it is scarcelypalatable. Nothing is better than venison, when come- atuble ; but it should be eaten without