270 Comments on Corpulency, 



experienced any great inconvenience from my increasing bulk. 

 Since that period, I have suffered much, and at intervals have 

 made some attempts to reduce it, but they were feeble, and not 

 continued for any length of time. In fact, my mind was in a 

 state of indecision on the subject, arising, like all other inde- 

 cision, from the want of clear and distinct ideas, and the 

 consequent conviction. The comparative advantage of animal 

 or vegetable food to the general constitution of man, or to 

 particular habits, is (strange to tell !) not yet ascertained. 

 By far the greater part of the medical tribe are satisfied with 

 attending only to actual disease, as being the only source of 

 profit, while the preventive part, though far the most important, 

 but as furnishing no emolument, is generally disregarded." 

 From this general philippic, however, he exempted Brown, 

 Darwin, and Beddoes, whose theories he was well acquainted 

 with , and whom he was pleased to say, stood as " noble 

 columns in the dreary waste." 



'' Here, then, was my difficulty, — I was very nervous. This 

 arose from debility, from a want of vigour in the system. Animal 

 food (the durable stimulant of Brown) communicates greatest 

 strength. I tried animal food for a month, without any mix- 

 ture of vegetable, eating very hearty and drinking pretty freely, 

 but not to great excess. All my complaints increased, my ner- 

 vousness in particular. It was natural then to inquire, whether 

 this nervousness was not caused, or at least increased, by the 

 weakness and other effects arising from my corpulence. 



*• I determined, then, to make trial, at least, of a vegetable 

 diet, which I did (with two or three exceptions) for six weeks. 

 I did not, in any respect, stint myself at first ; I generally drank 

 ale, sometimes brandy and water at my meals. I found a pint 

 of ale at night necessary to sleep, sometimes with onions, 

 sometimes without. I became much lighter, more inclined to 

 continual mental exertion, but did not, in the course of a mouthy 

 become in the least degree thinner. I reduced my quantity 

 both of eating and drinking, and in a week was evidently much 

 thinnery but found myself very feeble and little capable of 

 exercise. I attributed this, however, to the mere effect of 

 change, and as I found my spirits good, determined to per- 

 severe. I did so for another week ; my debility increased, and 



