PREFACE. vii

tice for several years, in one of the largest manufacturing townsin England, afforded me sufficient opportunities of observing theinjuries which those useful people sustain from their particular em-ployments, and likewise of trying various methods of obviatingsuch injuries. The success which attended these trials was sufficientto encourage this attempt, which I hope will be of use to those whoare under the necessity of earning their bread by such employ-ments as are unfavourable to health.

I do not mean to intimidate men, far less to insinuate that eventhose arts, the practice of which is attended with some degree ofdanger, should not be carried on ; but to guard the less cautiousand unwary against those dangers which they have it in their pow-er to avoid, and which they often, through mere ignorance, incur.As every occupation in life disposes those who follow it to someparticular diseases more than to others, it is certainly of impor-tance to know these, in order that people may be upon their guardagainst them. It is always better to be warned of the approachof an enemy, than to be surprised by him, especially where thereis a possibility of avoiding the danger.

The observations concerning Diet, Air, Exercise, &.c. are of amore general nature, and have not escaped the attention of Phy-sicians in any age. They are subjects of too great importance,however, to be passed over in any attempt of this kind, and cannever be sufficiently recommended. Tlw -<™<«i who pays a properattention to these, will «»AAini need the physician ; and he whodoes not will «rAfom enjoy health, let him employ as many physi-cians as he pleases.

Though we have endeavoured to point out the causes of diseas-es, and to put people upon their guard against them, yet it must beacknowledged that they are often of such a nature as to admit ofbeing removed only by the diligence and activity of the public ma-gistrate. We are sorry, indeed, to observe, that the power of themagistrate is seldom exerted in this country for the preservationof health. The injportance of a proper medical police is eithernot understood, or little regarded. Many things highly injuriousto the public health are daily practised with impunity, while others,absolutely necessary for its preservation, are entirely neglected.

Some of the public means of preserving health are mentionedin the general prophylaxis, as the inspection of provisions, widen-ing the streets of great towns, keeping them clean, supplying theinhabitants with wholesome water, <fcc. ; but they are passed overin a very cursory manner. A proper attention to these would haveswelled this volume to too large a size ; I have, therefore, reservedthem for the subject of a future publication.

In the treatment of diseases, I have been peculiarly attentive toregimen. The generality of people lay too much stress upon Medi-cine, and trust too little to their own endeavours. It is always inthe power of the patient, or of those about him, to do as muchtowards his recovery as can be effected by the physician. By notattending to this, the designs of Medicines are often frustrated;and the patient, by pursuing a wrong plan of regimen, not only de-feats the doctor's endeavours, but renders them dangerous. I haveoften known patieuts killed by an error in regimen, when they