THE MUSCLES. 83 



dosed almost to death, and told her that if she would follow his 

 directions implicitly, he could cure her ; for he had one kind of 

 medicine of great power, but which was useful only in cases ex- 

 actly like hers, in which it was an infallible cure. After telling 

 her how often she must take it, he added, that she must get up and 

 WALK ACROSS THE ROOM the second day, and RIDE OUT the third. 

 " Oh, that she could never do, for she had not been off her bed in 

 many years, and was so very weak," etc., etc. " Oh, but," said 

 the doctor, " this medicine will give you much strength that you 

 will be able to do so, and it will prevent any injurious consequences 

 arising therefrom. And, besides," he added, " the medicine will 

 not operate, unless you stir about some. Do just as I tell you, and 

 you will be off your bed in ten days." She sent an express thirty 

 miles, the medicine being so rare that he did not take it with him, 

 after his bread pills, rolled in aloes, to make them taste like medi- 

 cine, and took them and the EXERCISE as prescribed, and the third 

 day she actually got into a carriage, and in ten days was able to 

 leave her bed, and soon after was able to work, and yet lives to be 

 a blessing to her family, and to pour upon the doctor a literal flood 

 of gratitude for performing so wonderful a cure a cure which none 

 of the doctors had been able to effect, and which nothing but re- 

 storing the lost proportion between her nerves and muscles could 

 have effected. Nor do I hesitate to affirm, as my deliberate con- 

 viction, that nineteen-twentieths of the invalids, especially females, 

 of our land, are rendered so mainly by excessive nervous and de- 

 ficient muscular and vital action, and can be cured by banishing 

 care, and exercising in the open air. 



"THE AMOUNT OF EXERCISE REQUIRED. 



" From four to six hours of vigorous muscular exercise is the least 

 compatible with first-rate health. Excellent constitutions may en- 

 dure close confinement for years, yet must run down continually, 

 and finally break. A lower degree of health may be preserved on 

 less exercise, but as the order of nature is to spend from six to ten 

 hours daily in the open air, so the perfection of health requires a 

 great amount of muscular action, and the more, generally speaking, 

 the better, provided it is of the right kind. My own convictions 

 are, that about four hours brisk labor per day will suffice for exer- 

 cise, which amount, well expended by all rich and poor will 

 just about supply the human family with the comforts, if not also 

 the luxuries of life, artificial wants and extravagances of course 



