^l^? TRAINING OF ANIMALS, &C, 



hours this ftate of fuflfocation, he is comforted with a draught 

 of ale or wine. The purges and fvveatings are repeated, ac- 

 cording to the groflTnefs of his habit, and from time to time 

 his trainer, (regarding him no otherwife than he would a 

 running horfe, under the like difcipline,) takes him out, and 

 makes trial of his wind and ftrengili, and does not ceafe till 

 he has made him as lank as a greyhound, and almoft as fleet, 

 andthegreat in- A man, even in the beft of ordinary health, becomes giddy 

 ""ute'd b°"the ^"^ breathlefs when he ftrikes ; and fick and pale on receiving 

 human frame, a few blows. He is thence unable to bear any unufual exer- 

 tion, and by inference prone to difeafe. If, by extenuating 

 the fat, emptying in the cellular fubftance, hardening the 

 niufcular fibres, and improving the breath, a man of the 

 ordinary frame may be made to fight for one hour, with the 

 utmoft exertion of ftrength and courage ; the inquiry which 

 I have already fuggefied muft be of the higheft ufe. For 

 were this new train of fads regularly laid before profeffional 

 men, and were they enabled thus to judge of the influence 

 which the methods of thefe pra6lical philofophers have on 

 regulating the fundtions of breathing, perfpiration and 



Thek f»&s a.rt digeftion : it would be drawing into the province of fcience, 

 probably of great ^ ^, ^ .,, ., , r 



value to the ^^ ^"^i Connected moil particularly with the means or pro- 

 fcierice of pro- longing life, and hitherto known and praflifed only by a few 

 ngi^fa ' • infulated individuals, of courfe imperfedlly known, and of 

 too limited ufe. 

 The art feems to J queflion whether the athletics of old ufed fimilar means ; 

 whether they were equally fuccefsful ; whether there ever 

 were, in any climate, age, or country, more hardy oi power- 

 ful frames than thofe of our Englifli pugilifts. In Cooke's 

 voyage, we are told of the marked inferiority of the Englifli 

 faiiors, in wrefiling or boxing, to the naked fun-burnt heroes 

 of the South Sea Iflands, But an Englifli failor, though full 

 of fpirit and vigour, is as clumfy as a clown, and could not 

 even row againft an inhabitant of the Sandwich Iflands. An 

 Englifli bricklayer, blackfmith, or drayman, however, who 

 liked the fport, and was pradifed in balancing and ftriking, 

 might have challenged the whole of the tawny nation. 

 Qujiles. With a view of colleding fuch important information, I am 



very anxious that the following queries fliould be propofed to 

 thofe who profefs the art of training pugilifts, wreftlers, and 

 * runners of foot-races, by fuch intelligent men as have the 



cpporluiiily of converfing with them. 



l.By 



