The Code of Health and Longevity

©N ATHLETIC EXERCISES. Draftic purgatives may certainly be given to leffen corpulency in either fex, and to prevent fome difeafes ; but whether to prevent gout, does not appear to be afcer- tained by experiment. September 5. 1806. THOMAS SCOTT. 'T'he fuhfequent ObfervatUns, relative to th Diet of a Clafs of Men who perform long Jourfiies on Foot in India, were received from Mr DufFiN, many years Rejident Surg on at Madras, IN reading over thefe Obfervations and Queries, it accurs to me, that fpme ufeful information might be ob­ tained from the Eaft Indies, which might furnifh hints fcrviceable to the fubjedl inquired of j and I know no one who could or would more readily give this information, than the prefent Governor of Bombay, JonathanDuncan, Efq-,a perfpneminently qualified, from his long refidence |n the country, and his extenfive knowledge of the lan­ guage of the inhabitants, and of their cuftoms, habits and manners. Sir Charles Warre Malet, Bart, at prefent re- fiding in England, who pafled a confiderable part of th» time he was in India at Cambay, in Guzerat; and at Poonah, the Mahrattacapital, might, perhaps, give fome ufeful hints. There is a cafl of Hindoos, called, on the weftern fide of India, Pattaviars^ whofe fole occupation is to carry letters and difpatches by land; and they perform journeys almoft incredible, in the time allotted, as is the fmall quantity of food they fubfift on during thefe jour­ neys j they generally go in pairs, for fear of one beifig taken ill, and are allowed enams (rewards), in proportion jto the expedition with which they performtheir journey; ^rom Calcutta to Bombay I think twenty-five days are allowed