102 THE HOESE AND HIS EIDEK. 



of the system becomes so deranged 'that the rider 

 eventually experiences, to his vast regret, that he enjoys 

 rest more than exercise, and accordingly in due, or 

 rather in undue time, he retires from his saddle to an 

 elbow chair. 



But he is hardly seated therein when the sudden 

 change in liis habits, from an active to a sedentary life, 

 rapidly produces the usual effects. Did his big toe, un- 

 known to him, receive yesterday any little blow? Can 

 he have sprained it in his sleep? What can possibly 

 have swelled it so? How shiny and scarlet it looks! 

 How burning hot it is getting ! Gracious heavens, what 

 a twitch that was ! ! something must be in it. That 

 something, oh ! seems to be a red-hot file in the hands 

 of a demon who is rasping a hole in the bone. Ah! 

 Ai! OOOOH!! 



But this little mischievous demon is only one of a 

 legion ; for besides the eating complaint, commonly called 

 gout, diseases, all more or less painful, produced by in- 

 temperate habits, or, in other words, by giving to the 

 poor willing stomach more food and liquor than it could 

 digest, are so innumerable, that it would require, and 

 does require, a library of books to describe them, with 

 regiments of medicine-men to prescribe for them — in 

 vain. 



" India, my boy," said an Irishman to a friend on his 



