OR, THE LAKE LANDS OF CANADA. g 



nooks, imbibe ice-water and other cooling drinks in order 

 to relieve, so far as possible, their present misery. 



The efforts made by these very corpulent persons to 

 secure merely present relief forcibly remind me of the 

 action of an over-fattened hog on a hot July day, when it 

 half buries itself in the cool earth, mud, or any other 

 cooling substance which may be accessible to the poor 

 sufferer, and in which it commonly remains, uttering only 

 an occasional grunt, until food is again placed before it, 

 when it once more gorges itself. So lives our typical fat 

 man. So lives our over-fattened hog. Both live only to 

 eat, but do not eat to live. Let it be ever remembered 

 that physical activity is antagonistic to an excessive accu- 

 mulation of fat in the whole animal creation, and, conse- 

 quently, the ever-active weasel, fox, and many other active 

 animals which might be mentioned are never burdened 

 with obesity. 



It may be boldly asserted that physical activity is the 

 very best prophylactic agent which has ever been employed 

 against obesity, and that it is also entitled to a high rank 

 as a curative means in the treatment of the same morbid 

 condition. It must be evident to every thinking person 

 that the time spent by our overworked sedentary students, 

 professional and business men at Long Branch, Newport, 

 Saratoga, and other fashionable resorts does not yield 

 them ample returns : it does not supply them with com- 

 plete recreation, but only idleness, — a condition of things 

 better calculated to do pfood to the overworked farmer 

 and mechanic. This remark is likewise applicable to the 

 majority of the middle-aged ladies who are found lounging 



