6 CULPEPER’s ENGLISH PHYSICIAN, 
feems to be no reafon why any perfon fhould be confined for life to thefe alone. ’ It 
is conftant confinement that ruins the health. Aman willnot behurt by fitting five 
~ or fix hours a-day ; but, if he be obliged to fit ten or twelve, in confined air, he will — 
foon become injured in his health. Unwholefomeair is the caufe of many diforders. 
Few are aware of the danger arifing fromit. People generally pay fome attention 
to what they-eat and drink, but feldom regard what goes into the lungs, though the 
latter often proves more fuddenly fatalthan the former. A fedentary life-feldom 
fails to occafion an univerfal relaxation of the folids. This is the great fource from 
whence moft of the difeafes of fedentary peopleflow. The fcrophula, confumption, 
_hyfterics, and nervous difeafes, now fo common, were very little known inthis coun- 
try before fedentary artificers became fo numerous: and they are very little known 
ftill among fuch of our people as follow active employments without doors, though 
_in great towns at leaft two-thirds of the inhabitants are afflicted with them. In- 
Stead of multiplying rules for preferving the health of the fedentary, we fhall re- 
commend to them the following plan, viz. That every perfon who followsa fedén- 
"tary employment fhould cultivate a piece of ground with his own hand, ‘This’ he 
might dig, plant, fow, and weed, at leifure hours, fo as to make it an exercife and 
—amufement, while it produced many of the neceffaries of life. After working an 
hour in a garden, a man will return with more keennefs to his employment within 
_doors, than if he had been-all the while idle. Labouring the ground is every way 
conducive to-health. Itnot only gives exercife to every part of the body, but ‘the 
very fmell of the earth and freth herbs revives and cheers the fpirits, whilft the per- — 
petual profpeét of fomething coming to maturity delights and entertains the mind, 
“We are fo formed asto be always pleafed with fomewhat in profpect, however 
-~ diftant or however trivial. Hence the happinefs that men feel in planting, fowing, 
building, &c. Thefe feem to have beenthe chiefemployments of the more early 
“ages: and, when kings and conquerers cultivated the ground, there is teafon to be: 
-Vieve, that they knew as well wherein true happinefs confifted as we do. In a word, 
exerci! ‘without doors, in one fhape or another, is abfolutely neceffary to health. 
10fe wh oneglectit, though they may drag out life, can hardly be: faid to enjoy it. 
ss Weak — ey languifh for a few bicakc and foon wen into an pear! 
Every difeafe’'may be <oiifidered as an a atterb hae of ‘ainctehas and muft be dif- — 
tinguifhed by os that are moft obvious and permanent; for, by a due attention 
to = the i nveftig: at ne | of Soe Sede in general will be panic a much oe ane 
9 : ; age 
