The Code of Health and Longevity

ON ATHLET I C EXERC I SES . 1 4 5 iiig then willing to die. Age is a relative wore!; one man is older at forty than another at a hundred ; the caufes of fuch a differencefhould be inquired into. Were the caufes in original conftruftion ? or in the after habits of life ? The latter appears the raoft probable. The experiments which I have made upon myfelf, though they never have been followed with perfeVerance arid confiftency, tend to prove that exercife, at every period of life, is greatly advantageous, provided it be not taken to excefs; it feems as if it might be gradually increafed to what would be thought a wonderful degree, even in old age ; and that with its increafe the faculties ftrengthen, and an approach to youth returns. I have found that a free play of the lungs was a certain fign of good health< " What isthe prbcefsUfed in trairling jockies, and re- " ducing theirweight ?" Page 11. Remarks In my youth I lived at Newmarket. John Watfbn, our groom, was a rilari of good underftanding; he was employed in the double capacity of training the horfes, and riding them ; but was confidered fomewhat too large of bone and heavyi It was the cuftom at New­ market, for the jockies to wear feveral waiftcoats, and generally of flannel^ or woollen. When John Watfon wifhed to reduce his weight, he increafed the number of thefe wakkoats, loaded himfelf with clothes, ate little, tofe in the morning arid took a fevere walk, by which he threw himfelf into a ftrong perfpiration, came home, and immediately Went into a warm bed, to continue the tffefts he had produced, and, as I was then told, fomc- times flept between two feather-beds. I remember ha­ ving heard it faid, on one occalion, that he had to reduce himfelf two Hone, and that the liable-boys conildered it as a dangerous experiment. When I paffed through i Newmarket