EMACIATIONS. 



kr are better fitted to fill the cellular texture of their bodies with 

 oil. I might illustrate this, by a minute and particular con- 

 sideration of the difference of alimentary matters employed ; 

 but it will be enough to give two instances. The one is, that 

 the herbaceous part of vegetables, does not fatten animals so 

 much as the seeds of vegetables, which manifestly contain in 

 any given weight a greater proportion of oil ; and a second in- 

 stance is, that in general vegetable aliments do not fatten men 

 so much as animal food, which generally contains a larger pro- 

 portion of oil. 



It will be obvious, that upon the same principles a want of 

 food, or a less nutritious food, may not only occasion a general 

 deficiency of fluids (MDCIV.), but must also afford less oil, to 

 be poured into the cellular texture. In such cases, therefore, 

 the emaciation produced is to be attributed to both these gen- 

 eral causes. 



MDCXV. A second cause of the deficiency of oil may be 

 explained in this manner : It is pretty manifest, that the oil of 

 the blood is secreted and deposited in the cellular texture in 

 greater or less quantity, according as the circulation of the blood 

 is faster or slower ; and therefore that exercise, which hastens 

 the circulation of the blood, is a frequent cause of emaciation. 

 Exercise produces this effect in two ways : 1st, By increasing 

 he perspiration, and thereby carrying off a greater quantity of 

 the nutritious matter, it leaves less of it to be deposited in the 

 cellular texture ; thereby not only preventing an accumulation 

 of fluids, but, as I have said above, causing a general deficiency 

 of these, which must also cause a deficiency of oil in the cellu- 

 lar texture. 2c%, It is well known that the oil deposited in 

 the cellular texture, is, upon many occasions, and for various 

 purposes of the economy, again absorbed, and mixed or diffus- 

 ed in the mass of blood, to be from thence perhaps carried en- 

 tirely out of the body by the several excretions. Now, among 

 other purposes of the accumulation and re-absorption of oil, this 

 seems to be one, that the oil is requisite to the proper action of 

 the moving fibres in every part of the body ; and therefore that 

 nature has provided for an absorption of oil to be made according 

 as the action of the moving fibres may demand it. It will thus 

 be obvious, that the exercise of the muscular and moving fibrei 





