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CLEANLINESS.

would often feel the bad effects of this disposition. One seldomsees a farm-house without a dung-hill before the door, and fre-quently the cattle and their masters lodge under the same roof.Peasants are likewise extremely careless with respect to changeof apparel, keeping their houses, &c. clean. This is merely the ef-fect of indolence and a dirty disposition. Habit may, indeed, ren-der it less disagreeable to them, but no habit can ever make it sal-utary to wear dirty clothes, or breathe unwholesome air.

As many articles of diet come through the hands of peasants,every method should be taken to encourage and promote habits ofcleanliness among them. This, for example, might be done, bygiving a small premium to the person who brings the cleanest andbest article of any kind to market, as butter, cheese, &c, and bypunishing severely those who bring it dirty. The same methodshould be taken with butchers, bakers, brewers, and all who areemployed in preparing the necessaries of life.

In camps the strictest regard should be paid to cleanliness. By neg-ligence in this matter, infectious diseases are often spread amongsta whole army ; and frequently more die of these than by the sword.The Jews, during their encampments in the wilderness, receivedparticular instructions with respect to cleanliness.* The rules en-joined them ought to be observed by all in the like situation. In-deed the whole system of laws delivered to that people has a man-ifest tendency to promote cleanliness. Whoever considers the na-ture of their climate, the diseases to which they were liable, andtheir dirty disposition, will see the propriety of such laws.

It is remarkable, that in the most eastern countries, cleanlinessmakes a great part of their religion. The Mahometan, cs well asthe Jewish religion, enjoins various bathings, washings, and purifi-cations. No doubt these might be designed to represent inwardpurity, but they were at the same time calculated for the preserva-tion of health. However whimsical these washings may appear tosome, few things would tend more to prevent diseases than a properattention to many of them. Were every person, for example, aftervisiting the sick, handling a dead body, or touching any thing thatmight convey infection, to wash before he went into company, orsat down to meat, he would run less hazard either of catching theinfection himself, or of communicating it to others.

NECESSITY OF FREQUENT ABLUTIONS, &C.

Frequent washing not only removes the filth and sordes whichadhere to the skin, but likewise promotes the perspiration, bracesthe body, and enlivens the spirits. How refreshed, how cheerful,and agreeable does one feel on being shaved, washed, and shifted,especially when these offices have been neglected longer thanusual !

The eastern custom of washing the feet, though less necessaryin this country, is nevertheless a very agreeable piece of cleanli-ness, and contributes greatly to the preservation of health. Thesweat and dirt with which these parts are frequently covered, can-not fail to obstruct the perspiration. This piece of cleanliness

* See Deuteron, chap. xxii. ver. 12, 13,