~ 
93 [{EME. 
forward as if one was falling, and upon the ri- 
sing of the vessel upon the waves again, as if one 
was raised with it. This sensation, which is 
felt in the greatest degree when there is a cross or 
head sea, or when the snip, going before the wind, 
lurches from side to side, communicates to the 
abdominal muscles a convulsive and sudden action, 
so that the whole contents of the abdomen are com-— 
pressed and expanded alternately with the rising 
and falling of the ship. This compression conse- =» 
quently operates on the disphrage: fe ¥ 
muscle upwards in the same violent and « 
sive manner, so that the viscera of the thorax are 
also sensibly compressed and expanded with the 
lurching and righting of the vessel. ‘These effects 
as I have before remarked, are produced with every 
new turbulence of the sea; and as they are totally 
independent of the nausea and sickness before . 
mentioned, may be considered as the more pers ~~ 
manent effects of sailing. One other effect of the 
yessel’s motion, is the constant and novel action of 
the muscles of the body, principally those of the 
lower extremities, to preserve an equipoise and 
prevent falling The centre of gravity constantly 
‘altering as respects locality, a continual and cor- 
responding action of the muscles, to preserve an 
equilibrium, is of course necessary; and this 
continual action of the muscles, novel, sudden 
and energetic, is the most permanent of the effects 
of oulingy It is the exercise arising from this 
action of the muscles, that brings such invigora- 
tion to the debilitated patient, and this action 
never ceases to be necessary during the slightest 
motion of the sea, except in a horizontal position 
of the body, and even then, in blowing weather 
one is frequently awakened from sleep by an in- 
voluntary exertion to avoid being thrown from the 
berth. I have uniformly observed that those per- 
