MATERIA MEDICA.

125

to certain perfons, but this we mult explain from an idiofyn-crafy.

This is all that occurs on the fubje£f of Eggs. I fhouldnext go on to confider Medicines, but, before that, {hallrecapitulate a little what has been laid on the fubjeft ofAliment. From the whole you will perceive, that Alimentis divided into Vegetable and Animal, and that Milk is ofan intermediate nature between both, acefcent as the vege-table, but not liable to its noxious acefcency; nourifhing asthe Animal, though not liable to its noxious alkalefcency.The acefcent Vegetable Aliment feems abfolutely necefiaryto the human occonomy, and there are none of the humanfpecies but what employ it. How far we could difpenfewith Animal Food is uncertain ; it feems rather ufeful thannecefiary, in order to give great Ifrength, and for /ubfiftenceand long duration of life little proper. Farther, the Vege-table Aliment is never hurtful, except in the. prima via, andin thefe only of the difeafed: Its effefts never appear in theblood-veffels. On the contrary, Animal Food, which ismore nourifhing, eafily goes to excefs, and expofes to dan-ger, readily, by its alkalefcency, laying the foundation ofdifeafes, and, as well as its other qualities, e. g. corpulency,obefity, and putrefcent acrimony.

EFFECTS of ALIMENT on the MIND-

It is plain the delicacy of feeling, livelinefs of imagina-tion, quicknefs of apprehenfion, and acutenefs of judgmentmore frequently accompany a weak ftate of the body. Trueit is, indeed, that the fame ftate is liable to timidity, fluc-tuation and doubt, while the ftrong have that fteadinefs ofjudgment, and firmnefs of purpofe which are proper for thehigher and more adlive fcenes of life. The moft valuableftate of the Mind, however, appears to refide in fomewhatlefs firmnefs and vigour of body. Vegetable Aliment, asnever over-diftending the veflels, or loading the fyftem, neverinterrupts the ftronger motions of the Mind, while the heat,fulnefs, and weight ©f Animal Food is an enemy to itsvigorous efforts. Temperance, then, does not fo muchconfift in the quantity, for that always will be regulated byour appetite, as in the quality, viz. a large proportion ofVegetable Aliment. So much in general. Vegetable Ali-ment confifts of fugar and oil, both feparately nutritious,but in that ftate liable to difadvantages. Sugar is of diffi-cult aflimilation, efpecially if its acid is evolved; as then,