The Code of Health and Longevity

ON ATHLETIC EXERCISES. I25 life wasdefpaired of. By ftridllj adhering to a meafured diet, henot only perfedlly recovered his health, but pro­ longed his life to more than a hundred years. The celebrated Wefley is another inftanceof a delicate conftitution, by ftrift temperance, regular exercife, and early riling, protrafting its exiftence to nearly ninety years. Mr Wood, the miller of Billericay, in Effex, whofe cafe is ftated in the Tranfaftions of the College of Phy- ficians, London, by Sir George Baker, affords an exam­ ple of the poffibility of reducing, by means of diet, a degree of corpulency, fuch as to render life a burthen, to a moderate bulk, accompanied with the return of health and ftrength. The miller's diet confifted of a limple pudding, made by boiling coarfe flour in water, without fait. Of this he confumed about three pounds in twenty-four hours, and took no fluid whatever, not even water. On this he lived in perfeft health formany years, went through a great deal of exercife in the open air, and was able to carry five hundred pounds Weight, which was more than he could lift inhis youth, when he ate animal food, and drank freely ofale. A gentleman who was fond of good living, andfound himfelf becom­ ing more corpulent than he thought convenient, having heard of the falutary efFefts of Mr Wood's regimen, ot- dered his cook to prepare the miller's pudding, which he ate with great regularity every day after his ufual dinner ! However ridiculous fuch conduft may appear^ it is not very uncommon. People fliould be very cau­ tious how they make any partial change in their diet or, habits of living, without adapting the reft to it. Were a perfon, for example, to adopt fo much of the athletic regimen as confifts in eating to fatiety of animal food twice a day, and drinking plentifully ofmalt liquor, without