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viscid, which disposes Ihe body to inflammatory fevers, scurvit,,and the like.

Much has been said on the ill effects of tea in diet. They are, nodoubt, numerous ; but they proceed rather from the imprudent use ofit than from any bad qualities in the tea itself. Tea is now the universalbreakfast in this part of the world ; but the morning is surely the mostimproper time of the day for drinking it. Most delicate persons,who, by the bye, are the greatest tea drinkers, cannot eat any thingin the morning. If such persons, after fasting ten or twelve hours,drink four or live cups of green tea without eating almost any bread,it must hurt them. Good tea when taken in a moderate quantity, nottoo strong, nor too hot, nor drank upon an empty stomach, will sel-dom do harm ; but if it be bad, which is often the case, or substituteed in the room of solid food, it must have many ill effects.

The arts of cookery render many things unwholesome, which ar„not so in their own nature. By jumbling together a numbor of dif-ferent ingredients, in order to make a poignant sauce, or rich soup,the composition proves almost a poison. All high seasoning, pickles,&c. are only incentives to luxury, and never fail to hurt the stomach.It were well for mankind, if cookery, as an art, were entirely prohi-bited. Plain roasting or boiling is all that the stomach requires.These alone are sufficient for people in health, and the sick have stillless need of a cook.

The liquid part of our aliment likwise claims our attentionWater is not only the basis of most liquor*, but also composes ugreat part of our solid food. Good water must therefore be of thegreatest importance in diet. The best water is that which is mostpure, and free from any mixture of foreign bodies. Water takes upparts of most bodies with which it comes into contact; by this meansit is often impregnated with metals or minerals of a hurtful or poi-sonous nature. Hence the inhabitants of some hilly countries havepeculiar diseases, which in all probability proceed from the water.Thus the people who live near the Alps in Switzerland, and the inha-bitants of the Peak of Derby in England, have large tumours or wenson their necks. This disease is generally imputed to the snow water;but there is more reason to believe it is owing to the minerals in themountains through which the waters pass.

When water is impregnated with foreign bodies, it generally ap-pears by its weight, colour, taste, smell, heat, or some other sensi-ble quality. Our business therefore is to chuse such water for com-mon use, as is lightest, and without any particular colour, taste, orsmell. In most places of Britain the inhabitants have it in their powerto make choice of their water; and few things would contribute moreto health than a due attention to this article. But mere indolenceoften induces people to make use of the water that is nearest to them,without considering its qualities.

Before water is brought into great towns, the strictest attentionought to be paid to its qualities, as many diseases may be occasionedor aggravated by bad water; and when once it lias been procured ata great exp< nee, people are unwilling to give it up.