53* DIGESTION, SECRETION, &c. SECT, XXXVII. 4. 



ought to attend digeftion and glandular fecretion, 

 an irkfomenefs of life enfues ; and, where this is 

 in greater excefs, the melancholy of old age occurs, 

 with torpor or debility. 



From hence I conclude, that it is probable that 

 the fibrillas, or moving filaments at the extremities 

 of the nerves of fenfe, and the fibres which con- 

 ftitute the mufcles (which are perhaps the only 

 parts of the fyftem that are endued with contractile 

 life) are not changed, as we advance in years, like 

 the other parts of the body ; but only enlarged or 

 'elongated wiih our growth; and in confequence they 

 become lefs and lels excitable into adlion. Whence, 

 inftead of gradually changing the old animal, the 

 generation of a totally new one becomes neeeffary 

 with undiminifhed excitability ; which many years 

 will continue to excite new parts, or new folidity, 

 and then lofing its excitability in time, periih like 

 , its parent. 



V. From this idea the art of preferving long 

 health and life may be deduced ; which muft con- 

 iift in uling no greater flimulus, whether of the 

 quantity or kind of our food and drink, or of ex- 

 ternal c ire urn ftances, fuch as heat, and exercife, and 

 wakefulnefs, than is fufficient to preferve us in vi- 

 gour ; and gradually, as we grow old, to increafe the 

 JlimuJus of our aliment, as the inirritabiliiy of our 

 fyftem increases. 



The debilitating effects afcribed by the poet 

 MARTIAL to the exccffive ufe of warm, bathing in 

 Italy, may with equal propriety be applied to the 

 warm rooms of England ; which, wiih the general 

 exceflive ftirmvlus of fptrituous or fermented liquors-,- 

 and in fome inftances of immoderate" venery, con- 

 tribute to fhorten our lives. 



Balnea, vina, .venus, corrumpunt corpora noftra, 



J-lt fnctunt vitam ba'nca, -vina, vtnu's ! 



Wine, women, warmth, againft our lives combi'ne ; 



But what is life without waimth, women, wine-! 



SECT, 



