ARTICLES 



OF THE 



MATERIA MEDIC A, 



Art. L 

 NUTRIENTIA. 



1. i . Those things, which preferve in the natural (late the 

 due exertions of all the irritative motions, are termed nutrien- 

 tia *, they produce the growth, and reftore the wafte, of the fyf- 

 tem. Thefe confift of a variety of mild vegetable and animal 

 fubftances, water, and air. 



2. Where ftronger ftimuli have been long ufed, they become 

 necefTary for this purpofe, as muftard, fpice, fait, beer, wine, 

 vinegar, alcohol, opium. Which however, as they are unnat- 

 ural ftimuli, and difficult to manage in refpect to quantity, are 

 liable to fhorten the fpan of human life, fooner rendering the 

 fyftem incapable of being ftimulated into action by the nutrien- 

 tia. See Sect. XXXVII. 4. On the fame account life is fhort- 

 er in warmer climates than in more temperate ones. 



II. Observations on the Nutrientia. 



I. 1. The flefh of animals contains more nourifhment, and 

 ftimulates our abforbent and fecerning veffels more powerfully, 

 than the vegetable productions, which we ufe as food ; for the 

 carnivorous animals can faft longer without injury than the 

 graminivorous ; and we feel ourfelves warmer and ftronger af- 

 ter a meal of flefh than of grain. Hence i'n difeafes attended with 

 cold extremities and general debility this kind of diet is prefer- 

 red ; as in rickets, dropfy, fcrofula, and in hyfteric and hypochon- 

 driac cafes, and to prevent the returns of agues. Might not 



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