Pedestrianism

ON TRAINING. 227 able, being fully exemplifiedin the astonishing exploits of our most celebrated pedestrians, which are the infallible results of preparatory- discipline. The skilful trainer attends to the state of the bowels, the lungs, and the skin ; and he uses such means aswill reduce the fat, and at the same time, invigorate the muscular fibres. The patient is purged by drastic medicines; he is sweated by walking under a load of clothes, and by lying between feather-beds. His limbs are roughly rubbed. His diet is beef or mutton ; hisdrink, strong ale; <and he is gradually inured to exercise byrepeated trials in walking and running. " By extenu- iiting the fat, emptying thceellular substance, hardening themuscular fibre, and improving the breath, a man of the ordinary frame may be made to fight for one hour, with the utmost exertion of strengthand courage*," or to go over one hundred milesin twenty-four hours. The most effectual process for training is * Code of Health, vol. ii. p. 89. F f 2 that