The Code of Health and Longevity

•ON ATHLET I C EXERC I SES . Zf) lank as a greyhound, and almoft as fleet. A mail, even in the heft ordinary health, becomes giddy and breathlefs when he flrikes and lick and pale on receiving a few blows. He is thence unable to bear any unufual exer­ tion, and by inference prone to difeafe. If, by extenua­ ting the fat, emptying the cellular fubftance, hardening the mufcular fibre, and improving the breath, a man of the ordinary frame may be made to fight for one hour, with the utmoft exertion of llrength and courage ; the inquiry which I have already fuggefted, muft be of the higheft ufe. For were this new train of fafts regularly laid before profeffionajmen, and were they enabled thus to judge of the influence which the methods of thefe prac­ tical philofophers have on regulating the funftions of breathing, perfpiration, anddigeftion; it would be draw­ ing into the province of fcience, an art conneded mod particularly with the means of prolonging life, and hi­ therto known and praftifed only by a few infulated indi­ viduals, of courfe imperfedly known, and of too limited ufe. I que ftion whether the athletics of old ufed fimilar means; whether they were equally fuccefsful; whether there ever were, in any climate, age, or country, more hardy or powerful framei than thofe of ourEnglifli pu- gilifts. In Cook's voyage, we are told of the marked inferiority of the Englifh failors, in wreftling or boxing, to the naked fun-burnt heroes of the South-Sea Iflands. But an Englifti failor, though full of fpirit and vigour, is as clumfy as a clown, and could not even row againft an inhabitant of the Sandwich Iflands. An Englifti brick­ layer, blackfmith, or drayman, however, who liked the fport, and was pradifed in balancing and ftriking, migjit have challenged the whole of the tawny nation. With a view of collefting fuch important information, I am very anxious that the following queries ftiould be propofed