INCLINED POSTURE INJURIOUS.

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addition of several candies, which tend to waste die air, and renderit less fit for respiration. Air that is breathed repeatedly, becomesunfit for expanding the lungs. This is one cause of the phthisicalcoughs, and other complaints of the breast, so frequent amongsedentary artificers.

Even the perspiration from a great number of persons pent uptogether, renders the air unwholesome. The danger from thisquarter will be greatly increased, if any of them happen to havebad lungs, or to be otherwise diseased. Those who sit near theperson so affected, being forced to breathe the same air, can hardlyfail to be infected. It would be a rare thing, however, to find adozen of sedentary people all in good health. The danger ofcrowding them together must, therefore, be evident to every one.

INJURIOUS EFFECT OF LONG INCLINED POSTUKE, &C

Many of those who follow sedentary employments are constantlyin a bending posture, as shoemakers, tailors, cutlers, «fcc. Such asituation is extremely hurtful. A bending posture obstructs all thevital motions, and of course must destroy the health. Accordinglywe find such artificers generally complaining of indigestions, flatu-lences, head-achs, pains of the breast, &.c.

The aliment in sedentary people, instead of being pushed for-wards by an erect posture, and the action of"the muscles, is in amanner confined in the hoirels. Hence indigestions, costivenes?,wind, and other hypochondriacal affections, are the constant com-panions of the sedentary. Indeed none of the excretions can beduly performed where exercise is wanting ; and when the matterwhich ought to be discharged in this way is retained too long inthe body, it must have bad effects, as it is again taken up in themass of humours.

A bending posture is likewise hurtful to the lungs. When thisorgan is compressed, the air cannot have free access into all itsparts, so as to expand them properly. Hence tubercles, adhesions,&c. are formed, which often end in consumptions. Besides, theproper action of the lungs being absolutely necessary for makinggood blood, when that organ fails, the humours soon become uni-versally depraved, and the whole constitution goes to wreck.Being of a soft texture, and in continual action, their functions areeasily obstructed by pressure.

The sedentary are not only hurt by pressure on the bowels, butalso on their inferior extremities, which obstructs the circulationin these parts, and renders them weak and feeble. Thus tailors,shoemakers, &c. frequently lose the use of their legs altogether:besides, the blood and humours are, by stagnation, vitiated, andthe perspiration is obstructed ; whence proceed the scab, ulceroussores, foul blotches, and other cutaneous diseases, so commonamong sedentary artificers.

A bad figure of body is a very common consequence of closeapplication to sedentary employments. The spine, for example,by being continually bent, puts on a crooked shape, and generallyremains so ever after. But a bad figure of body has already beenobserved to be hurtful to health, as the vital functions are therebyimpeded.