PERSONAL APPEARANCES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 27 



store of fat. And accompanying with such exertion there 

 are the quickened circulation and increased activity of 

 respiration, by which the blood is more rapidly exhausted 

 and requires more frequent renewal than when the body 

 is at rest. When to this is added a spare but sufficient 

 diet, and especially an avoidance of malt and alcoholic 

 drinks, the induction of a lean habit is more and more 

 favoured. There can be no doubt also that equally with 

 muscular activity, continued mental exercise will hinder 

 fat production, for although it would be an unfounded 

 aspersion,* frequently disproved in fact, that fat people 

 have sluggish faculties, yet there can be no question that 

 severe mental application tends to a lean habit, and that 

 the words put into Caesar's mouth by Shakespeare in 

 speaking of Cassius have some measure of truth in them. 



It may be pointed out here that as a rule the inhabi- 

 tants of tropical climates are leaner than those of tem- 

 perate or frigid zones, and the probability is that the 

 former make less flesh. However, there are many ex- 

 ceptions to the rule; for the indolent life of the first 

 named, dwelling in a land " where it is always afternoon" 

 and where nature in her luxuriance i always at hand to 

 supply his physical needs, would favour rather the ten- 

 dency to fat production when contrasted with the more 

 active work of the latter. 



One more point about lean people and we pass them 



