LETTERS TO BROTHER JOHN. 239 



to the quantity which is destined to be left unassi- 

 milated, and therefore to give out a still greater 

 portion of those poisonous gases and acids above 

 mentioned; and an increased quantity of these 

 poisons must produce an increased quantity of mis- 

 chief to the health. And thus it becomes plain, 

 that, so far from growing stronger, he will only be- 

 come weaker, and worse nourished, the more he eats. 



Thus, from the very nature of the animal sy- 

 stem from the very manner in which life is sup- 

 ported it is manifestly impossible to add to the 

 natural standard of health and strength by increas- 

 ing our quantity of food whether that food be well 

 assimilated or not : and it is equally clear, that 

 when the health is weak, and the assimilating 

 powers therefore feeble, that eating more is not 

 the proper remedy : for, certainly, the assimilating 

 powers, which are not equal to the assimilation of 

 one pound of food, must be still more unequal to 

 the assimilation of two. And it is also plain, that, 

 under these circumstances, the proper way to im- 

 prove the health is to diminish the amount of daily 

 food; since those powers, which are inadequate to 

 the assimilation of a pound, may, nevertheless, be 

 equal to the assimilation of eight ounces. 



1 have said, that the quantity of food taken daily 



