( s ) 



to general iricreafe ? If now enjoyed in abundance, is there 

 no dano-er of indlfpofitlon by repletion ? If now withheld, isf 

 not weaknefs and debility likely to enfue ? The quality of food 

 ' is confefTedly different, as well aninial as vegetable : if coarfe . 

 and refufe, or in good condition ; if juicy, or dry in its nature j 

 if frefli, or preferved by artificial means, fait, or fmoke, cor- 

 refpondent effecls on thofe who live on it may naturally be 

 expelled. And to this mull: be added, the very great variety 

 of liquorSj fermented or (imple, water, milk, beer, wirie, fapi 

 of trees, fpirits from corn, rice, vinOus fermentations, and 

 what anfwers the fame end, opium. Thefe are many of them' 

 daily noticed by us, and from what we actually fee, we may 

 readily conclude their influence elfewhere* 



Thefe caufes branch out into almofl: innumerable eftecls j 

 and vary in the fame kingdom, or country. To trace them 

 further is rather the province of the Geographer than thd 

 Naturalift ; though it muft be owned that whatever concern^ 

 our race, interefls fomething in us fuperior tp curiofity. 



What was the original colour of mankind, has long divided 

 the learned. Upon the whole, I acquiefee in the opinion that 

 the lighter Afiatics are the nearefk to it ; for in our owit 

 country, which ftands firft in fairnefs of complexion, the tints 

 of thofe among us expofed to the air, &c. are little different 

 from many Afiatics. That expofure to air is our natural ftate, 

 I am perfuaded : and thus circumflanced, the cleareft /kiii 

 acquires a tint oi brunette. The deviation of colour has been 

 toward fairnefs in Europe,-^towards blacknefs in Africa. 

 Not but that the upper fkin of a Negro is colourlefs as our 



own ; 



* ■ '^te ' 



