No. 6. 



Exercise. — TJie Box Tunnel 



179 



Exercise. 



Many people look upon the necessity man 

 is under of earning his bread by labour, as a 

 curse. But it is evident from the structure 

 of the body, that exercise is not less ne 

 cessary than food for the preservation of 

 health ; those who labour are not only the 

 most healthy, but generally the most happy 

 part of mankind. This is peculiarly the 

 case with those who live by the culture of 

 the ground. The great increase of inhabit- 

 ants in infant agriculture, every where evi- 

 dently proves it to be the most healthy, as 

 well as the most useful employment. 



The love of activity shows itself very 

 early in man. So strong is the principle, 

 that a healthy youth cannot be restrained 

 from activity. Our love of motion is surely 

 a strong proof of its utility. It seems to be 

 a law throughout the whole animal creation, 

 that no creature, without exercise, should 

 enjoy health, or be able to find subsistence. 



Inactivity never fails to produce a univer- 

 sal relaxation of the solids, which disposes 

 the body to innumerable diseases. When 

 the solids are relaxed, neither the digestion 

 nor any of the secretions can be duly per- 

 formed. How can persons who loll all day 

 on easy chairs, and sleep all night on beds of 

 down, fail to be relaxed; nor do those much 

 mend the matter who never hardly stir abroad 

 but in a coach. 



Glandular obstructions generally proceed 

 from inactivity. These are the most obsti- 

 nate maladies. So long as the liver, kidneys 

 and other glands duly perform their func- 

 tions, health is seldom much impaired, but 

 when they fail it is difficult to be restored. 



Weak nerves are also the constant com- 

 panions of inactivity. We seldom hear the 

 laborious complain of w r eak nerves. This 

 plainly points out the sources from which 

 nervous diseases generally originate, and 

 the means by which they may be prevented. 



It is absolutely impossible to enjoy health, 

 where the perspiration is not duly carried 

 on ; but that can never be the case where 

 exercise is neglected. When the matter 

 which ought to be thrown off by perspiration 

 is retained in the body, it vitiates the hu- 

 mours, and occasions the gout, rheuma- 

 tism, &c. 



No piece of indolence injures the health, 

 more than the custom of lying in bed too 

 long in the morning; the morning is un- 

 doubtedly the best for exercise, as the air 

 braces and strengthens the nerves. Custom 

 soon renders early rising agreeable, and no- 

 thing contributes more to the preservation 

 of health. 



Every person should lay themselves under 

 some sort of necessity to take exercise. 



Indolence, like other vices, when indulged, 

 gains ground, and at length becomes agree- 

 able. — Hence many who were fond of exer- 

 cise in the early part of life, become quite 

 averse to it afterwards. This is often the 

 case with gouty and hypochondriac persons, 

 and frequently when their diseases are diffi- 

 cult to cure. 



Indolence not only occasions diseases, and 

 renders man useless to society, but promotes 

 all manner of vice. The mind, if not en- 

 gaged in some useful pursuit, is constantly 

 in quest of some ideal pleasures. From 

 these sources proceed most of the miseries 

 of mankind. Certainly man was never in- 

 tended to be idle. Inactivity frustrates the 

 very design of his creation, whereas an ac- 

 tive life is the best and greatest preservation 

 of health. — Oracle of Health. 



A great Work of Art — The Box Tun- 

 nel. — The Great Western Railway, England, 

 is a magnificent work, and is marked by many 

 extraordinary indications of labour and en- 

 terprise. It is the longest independent line 

 of railway completed in England. The 

 "Box Tunnel," which forms one of its prin- 

 cipal features, pierces through Box hill, be- 

 tween Chippenham and Bath— part of which 

 is 400 feet above the level of the railway. 

 The tunnel is 9,630 feet long, 39 feet high, 

 and 35 wide, to the outside of the brick 

 work. The excavation amounted to 414, 

 000 cubic yards, and the brick work and 

 masonry to more than 54,000 cubic yards. 

 About 30,000,000 of bricks were used. A 

 ton of gunpowder and a ton of candles were 

 consumed every week for two and a half 

 years; and 1,100 men and 250 horses were 

 ept constantly employed. For a consider- 

 able distance, the tunnel passes through free 

 stone rock, from the fissures of which there 

 was at times an immense influx of water. 

 This formed such an impediment, that the 

 work was on one occasion discontinued for a 

 long time. But the water was finally pumped 

 out through the agency of a steam engine 

 of fifty horse power, which threw it out at 

 the rate of 32,000 hogsheads a day. The 

 contractors, Messrs. Bremer and Lewis, de- 

 serve immense praise for their indefatigable 

 exertions. — Selected. 



Washington Cake, — So called, because 

 it was a favourite at the table of Gen. Wash- 

 ington. Recipe for making. — Take two lbs. 

 of flour, one quart of milk, with an ounce of 

 butter, heated together — put the milk and 

 butter into the flour when it is about luke- 

 warm, add a cent's worth of yeast, three eggs 

 and a tea-spoonful of salt; place it in pans 

 over night, and bake it in the morning, in a 

 quick oven for three quarters of an hour. 



