Manual of British Rural Sports

PEEPARATORY TREATMENT. '445 Tuese conditions will also vary very much acconiing to the rank in lite,habits, and niimral constitution of the individual. For lusialice, a gentleman's son, having been generously brought up, goes to the uni- versity and indulges to excess in wine, emofciiig,&c., all the while taking strong csercisc. For a timehis naturallystrong constitution enables him to withstand the oitacfcsof the poisonous doses of wine and t baccowhich he istaking, but soon his Imid begins to shake, his appetite for solid loodceases, his eyes become red, hissleep ii n-stless and unrefreshing, and he is threatened with an attack of delirium tre­ mens. Now, ifin such a state as thisan mtempt is made to go suddenly into train­ ing, the consequence is, either that the jbovedisease makes its appearance at once, or,Inmilder cases, that the stomach refuses todo its duty, and the prescribed work cannotbe performed, from giddiness, faint- DHS, sickness, or headache. By a little careand time, however, this state of things may be removed. But suppose the case of a young man in a lower rank, who has been brought up on a spare and rigidly Jbstemlous fare, and who from circum­ stances is suddenly allowed to Indulgein ai the temptations of the public-house: he hasno otherresource—no hunting or cricket to take up his attention—no lectures to attend, and the consequenceis that beer andtobacco commencethe day', and tobacco and spirits wind it up. Such aman sud- •lenlytinds all his energies going, his mind dulland enfeebled, his body weak, flabby, and bloated; in a happy moment he k'tliinks himself that he will take to boat- tag, or some other amusement which he formerly perhaps been addicted to, and at once proceeds to theriver or the road. Weill what is the consequence? Why, jiMeadof feeling the better for his exertion oeis completely knocked up, and perhaps permanently discouraged and deterred from ,n y furthertrial; in fact, he requires a rauch more careful treatment to gethim into a state of health lit for such an exer­ tion than the Oxonian or the Cantab, because the changefrom his former habits ws been greater, because the imbibition of wer and spirits has been more uninter- •"i'ted, because the rooms he has fre- Qaentedhave been less perfectly ventilated, oficause he has taken little or no exer- ' n ^ ee( -'i 11 is astonishing what quan- ues of intoxicating drinks may be imbibed "" out much injury, provided that a cor- ^spondlng amount of exercise is regularly «n. I havemyself known young men • l e from one to two gallons a-day of ,n f , a,e for many months, besides occa- '"aal bottles of wine, &c., Without any great injury.One of the most plucky oars­ men I ever knew regularly swallowed the above quantity, and still pursues the same course, apparently uninjured by it. This gentleman, however, is always walking or riding; and is also by nature of an iron con­ stitution. But a far more difflcuit task lias be:ore the reading man, who has been d voting 12 to 18 hours a-day to a prepara­ tion for honours; and who, finding his health giving way, determines upon going in for honours of another kind. Here tho nervous system has been ov rtaxed, aided by green tea, wotcloths round the head, and perhaps a liberal supply of tobacco; the consequence is that the neglected muscular system is unfit for exertion, and the limbs become stiff and crampedon tho slightest effort. This state of things requires many weeks, or even months, to restore the system to a state fit for undertakingany severe work, because the muse'es are want­ ing in solid material, and the nervous system is so irritable as to be totally incompetent to stimulate them with that steadiness and regularity which is essential to success. The same state of things often occurs in the counting-house—a young man is confined for 10 or 12hours a-day to tho desk and ledger; he has no time for exercise, and his nervous system is over- stimulated by incessant calculation, and also by the constant view of the white paper spread before Ms eyes; he gets the "ledger fever," and many a young man is rendered by itutterly incompetent to con­ tinue this kind of drudgery. Some relieve this unnatural condition by early rising and pedestrian, or horse and rowing exercise. This plan, if carefully entered upon, isof gre t service; but It requires some caution at first, and is almost wholly useless if persevered in without those essentials which I shall endeavour to point out. 293. T REATMENT OP THE F REE L IVER OF A CTIVE H ABITS I have already observed that the free liver who has usually taken a due amount of exercise, has a comparatively easy task, ifhe only has the power to command himself, and to check those prac­ t ces which he as been Indulging in. But let this be done with due caution; many is the man who has been driven into delirium tremens by suddenly leaving off all stimuli; the best plan is tosubstitute ammonia in some shape for a part of the accustomed alcohol, and for this purpose to takethe following draught once or twice a day, or oftener if that dreadful sinking sensation comes onwhich iso distressing to th se who have indulged to excess in wine and tobacco Take of aromatic confection 10 grains, sal volatile 1 drachm, bicarbonate of soda 5 grains, tincture of gentian 1