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URINE.

It would be difficult to ascertain the exact number of stoolswhich may be consistent with health, as these differ in the differentperiods of life, in different constitutions, and even in the same con-stitution under a different regimen of diet, exercise, &c. It is,however, generally allowed, that one stool a-day is sufficient foran"adult, and that more or less is hurtful. But this, like most gen-eral rules, admits of many exceptions. I have known persons inperfect health who did not go to stool above once a week.* Sucha degree of costiveness, however, is not safe ; though [the personwho labours under it may for some time enjoy tolerable health, yetat length it may occasion diseases.

One method of procuring a stool every day is to rise betimes,and go abroad in the open air. Not only the posture in bed is un-favourable to regular stools, but also the warmth. This, by pro-moting perspiration, lessens all the other discharges.

The method recommended for this purpose, by Mr. Locke, islikewise very proper, viz. to solicit nature, by going regularly to stoolevery morning whether one has a call or not. Habits of this kind maybe acquired, which will in time become natural.

Persons who have frequent recourse to medicines for preventingcostiveness seldom fail to ruin their constitution. Purging medi-cines frequently repeated weaken the bowels, hurt the digestion,and every dose makes way for another, till at length they becomeas necessary as daily bread. Those who are troubled with cos-tiveness ought rather, if possible, to remove it by diet than drugs.They should likewise go thinly clothed, and avoid every thing ofan astringent or of an heating nature. The diet and other regi-men necessary in this case will be found under the article Costive-ness, where this state of the bowels is treated as a disease.

Such persons as are troubled with an habitual looseness oughtlikewise to suit their diet to the nature of their complaint. Theyshould use food which braces and strengthens the bowels, andwhich is rather of an astringent quality, as wheat-bread made ofthe finest flour, cheese, eggs, rice boiled in milk, &c. Their drinkshould be red port, claret, brandy and water, in which toastedbread has been boiled, and such like.

As an habitual looseness is often owing to an obstructed perspi-ration, persons affected with it ought to keep their feet warm, towear flannel next their skin, and take every other method to promotethe perspiration. Further directions with regard to the treatmentof this complaint will be found under the article Looseness.

So many things tend to change both the quantity and appear-ances of the urine, that it is very difficult to lay down any deter-mined rules for judging of either.t Dr. Cheyne says, the urine

* Some persons have told me that they did not go to stool above once a month.I t It has long been an obseivation among physicians, that the appearances of theurine are very uncertain, and very little to be depended on. No one will be surprisedat this, who considers how many ways it may be affected, and, consequently, have itsappearance altered. The passions, the state of the atmosphere, the quantity and quali-ty of the food, the exercise, the clothing, the state of the other evacuations, and num.