386 
perty of being somewhat brittle, of 
erackling, and giving warning of 
danger.” 
To account for this drawback in 
Mr. Evelyn’s opinion, it will be 
proper to observe, that this. certain- 
ly is the case with old chesnut that 
has been suffered to stand beyond 
the time of its attaining its full 
growth : it is then the worst of all 
timber, being more brittle and more 
apt to crack and fly into splinters 
than any other: but I have never 
known this to be the case with 
young chesnut; and therefore, in 
point of ceconomy, it should never 
be suffered to stand longer than the 
points of the branches and the 
eomplexion of the bark indicate it 
to be in a growing or healthy state; 
which is not very difficult to ascer- 
tam, by a person accustomed to 
make observations upon timber: 
and it is thisvery circumstance, when 
properly attended to, that makes 
this timber mere profitable than 
most others; for it is so early use- 
ful, that if it be cut when it squares 
only six inches, it will be as dura- 
ble as an oak of six times its size 
and age. This is in a great mea- 
sure accounted fur, by its having so 
little sap in proportion to other 
trees, as it will seldom exceed in 
thickness the breadth of the bark ; 
whereas the sap of an oak will often 
be from an inch totwo inches thick, 
which is not only useless, but, if 
suffered to remain, tends very much 
to the destruction of the timber: in 
other respects, the duration of the 
chesnut may be accounted for, from 
its being less affected by worms or 
insects than other timber; otherwise 
it would be impossible that such 
roofs as King’s College, Cambridge, 
built in the reign of Henry VI. with 
chesnut, and mavy other equally 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1702. 
ancient buildings, should have lasted 
so long, and be still in such a per- 
fect state as many of them are. 
Therefore, like Mr. Majendie, I 
earnestly wish to see the culture of 
this most valuable plant extended 
over every part of the kingdom, as 
it must prove highly beneficial to 
the public. 
But let noone be afraid of cutting 
it too young ; for let this tree be 
ever so small, if it is large enough 
for the purpose for which it is want- 
ed, it will be the Jess liable to de- 
cay, from its youth; and, if under- 
wood be the object, the proverb, 
in beech countries, will be fully ve- 
rified, “ Cut wood and have wood.” 
Lam, Sir, 
your most obed. humb. servant, 
NaTHanieLt Kent. 
Ripon-Hail, 
January 16th, 1792. 
An Account of two Cases of Polydipsia, 
or excessive Thirst. 
From Medical Facts, vol. I. 
LMOST all the modern noso- 
logists have introduced. inte 
their systems a disease to which, on 
account of the excessive thirst that 
forms its characteristic symptom, 
they give the name of Polydipsia; 
but in none of the examples of it 
they have been able to collect, does 
it appear to have been idiopathic; 
and Dr. Cullen expressly says that 
it is almost always symptomatic, 
A very curious instance, however, 
of such an affection, apparently 
depending on a peculiarity of tem- 
perament, or what is called idiosyn~- 
crasy, occurs in a woman now liv- 
ing at Paris, of whose case the first 
account was given by M. Bessejon 
de Ja Chassagne, in a letter which 
we 
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