88 PHYSIOLOGY AND HEALTH. 



hardly fail to observe a difference among his associates. One 

 is active and sprightly ; another inactive and dull. One is 

 excitable and irritable; another is slow, calm, and placid. 

 One is hasty and impatient, quick to receive new ideas, or 

 eager to engage in new plans; another is slow of under- 

 standing, and hesitates about new propositions. These dif- 

 ferences are very perceptible, both in men and women. It is 

 easy to see, among children at school, how much quicker one 

 is than another in learning his lessons, and how much more 

 impetuous and active at his play. He has not necessarily 

 greater talent for learning, nor more fondness for amusement 

 than the other, who is more patient and slow at his books, 

 and less hasty and boisterous on the playground; but his 

 talents and his feelings are all more active. He understands 

 his lessons in school more readily, but he is not in the end a 

 better scholar; he is more ready in his games of sport, but 

 he does not play with more skill. He requires a smaller in- 

 ducement to begin a task in the school-room, or a game on 

 the playground ; but he does not persevere so faithfully to 

 the end, as the duller and slower boy. 



185. These are differently affected by outward circum- 

 stances, by affairs of life, by the treatment of others, by grat- 

 ifications or disappointments. They are as variously affected 

 by the matters which they eat or drink. It is well known, 

 that one man can drink large quantities of strong spirit 

 without being visibly affected, while another can hardly take 

 a small portion of wine without being intoxicated. A sim- 

 ilar difference follows the use of stimulating and unstimulat- 

 ing food. What is beneficial to one is injurious to another. 

 The sanguine arid the ardent need a cooling diet. The cool 

 and dull want meat, and other exciting food. The quick 

 and irritable should live upon bread, vegetables, fish, and 

 such other matters as will not excite them. If they thus 

 regulate their diet, according to the peculiarities of their 

 constitution, they will be better able to control themselves. 

 If they disregard these, and eat otherwise, they will give 

 strength to those peculiarities already too strong, and the 



