ARTICLES 



OF THE 



MATERIA MEDICA, 



ART. I. 

 NUTRIENTIA. 



L i. THOSE THINGS, which preferve in the natural {late the 

 due exertions of all the irritative motions, are termed nutrien- 

 tia ; they produce the growth, and reftore the wafte, of the fyf- 

 tem. Thefe confift of a variety of mild vegetable and animal 

 fubftances, water and air. 



2. Where flronger ftimuli have been long ufed, they become 

 neceflary for this purpofe, as muftard, fpice, fait, beer, wine, 

 vinegar, alcohol, opium. Which however, as they are unnat- 

 ural ftimuli, and difficult to manage in refpett to quantity, are 

 liable to (horten the fpan of human life, fooner rendering the 

 fyftem incapable of being ftimulated into aclion by the nutrien- 

 tia. See Seel. XXXVII. 4. On the fame account life is ihort- 

 er in warmer climates than in more temperate ones. 



II. OBSERVATIONS ON THE NUTRIENTIA. 



I. i. The flefli of animals contains more nourifliment, and 

 ftimulates our abforbent and fecerning veflels more powerfully, 

 than the vegetable productions, which we ufe as food ; for the 

 carnivorous animals can faft longer without injury than the 

 graminivorous ; and we feel ourfelves warmer and ftronger af- 

 ter a meal of flefti than of grain. Hence in difeafes attended with 

 cold extremities and general debility this kind of diet is prefer- 

 red; as in rickets, dropfy, fcrofula, and in hyfteric and hypochon- 

 driac cafes, and to prevent the returns of agues. Might not 



flefli 



