the cordial; and it matters not, whether it be on a foft bed or the hard boards. 'Tis fleep only that is the thing neceflary. Coftive ness. 23. One thing more there is, which has a great influence upon the health, and that is, going to ftool regulary People that are very loose, have feldom ftrong thoughts or strong bodies. But the cure of this, both by diet. and medicine, being much more eafy than the contrary evil, there needs not much to be faid about it: For if it come to threaten, either by its violence or duration, it will foon enough, and sometimes too foon, make a phyfician be fent for; and if it be moderate or fhort, it is commonly beft to leave it to nature. On the other fide, coftivenefs has too its ill effects, and is much harder to be dealt with by phyfick purging medicines, which feem to give relief; rather increafing them, than removing the evil. § 24. It being an indifpofition I had a particular reafon to enquire into, and not finding the cure of it in books, I fet my thoughts on work, believing, that greater changes than that might be made in our bodies, if we took the right courfe, and proceeded by rational Reps. 1. Then I confidered, that going to ftool, was the effect of certain motions of the body; efpecially efpecially of the peristaltick motion of the guts. 2. I confidered, that feveral motions that were not perfectly voluntary, might yet, by ufe and conftant application, be brought to be habitual, if by an unintermitted cuftom they were at certain feafons endeavoured to be conftantly produced. 3. I had obferved fome men, who by taking after fupper a pipe of tobacco, never failed of a ftool: and began to doubt with myself, whether it were not more cuftom, than the tobacco, that gave them the benefit of nature; or at leaft, if the tobacco did it, it was rather by exciting a vigorous motion in the guts, than by any purging quality; for then it would have had other effects. Having thus once got the opinion, that it was poffible to makeit habitual, the next thing was to confider what way and means was the likelieft to obtain it. 4. Then I gueffed, that if a man after his firft eating in the morning, would presently folicit nature, and try whether he could ftrain himself so as to obtain a stool, he might in time, by a conftant application, bring it to be habitual. 25. The reafons that made me chufe this time, were, 1. Because the ftomach being then empty, it received any thing grateful to it (for I would would never, but in cafe of neceffity, have any one eat but what he likes, and when he has an appetite) it was apt to embrace it clofe by a strong constriction of its fibres; which conftriction, I fuppofed, might probably be continued on in the guts, and fo increase their periftaltick motion, as weffee in the Ilieus, than an inverted motion, being begun any where below, continues itself all the whole length,, and makes even the ftomach obey that irregular motion. 2. Because when men eat, they ufually relax their thoughts; and the fpirits then, free from other employments, are more vigoroufly diftributed into the lower belly, which thereby contribute to the fame effect. 3. Because whenever men have leisure to eat, they have leifure enough alfo to make fo much court to madam Cloacina, as would be neceffary to our prefent purpofe; but elfe, in the variety of human affairs and accidents, it was impoffible to affix it to any hour certain, whereby the custom would be interrupted.. Whereas men in health feldom failing to cat once a day, tho' the hour changed, the cuf tom might fill be preferved. § 26. Upon thefe grounds the experiment began to be tried. And I have known none who have been steady in the profecution of it, and taken care to go conftantly to the necef fary houfe, after their firft eating, whenever that that happened, whether they found themselves. called on or no, and there endeavour to put nature upon her duty, but in a few months they obtained the defired fuccefs, and brought themfelves to fo regular an habit, that they feldom ever failed of a fool after their first eating, unless it were by their own neglect: For, whether they have any motion or no, if they go to the place, and do their part, they are fure to have nature very obedient. § 27. I would therefore advife, that this courfe fhould be taken with a child every day, prefently after he has eaten his breakfast. Let. him be fet upon the ftool, as if difburthening were as much in his power, as filling his belly; and let not him or his maid know any thing to the contrary, but that it is fo: and if he be forced to endeavour, by being hindered from his play, or eating again 'till he has been effectually at ftool, or at leaft done his utmoft, I doubt not but in a little while it will become natural to him. For there is reafon to fufpect, that children being ufually intent on their play, and very heedlefs of any thing else, often let pass thofe motions of nature, when the calls them but gently; and fo they, neglecting the feasonable offers, do by degrees bring themselves into an habitual coftivenefs. That by this method coflivenefs may be prevented, I do more than guefs; having known, by the conftant practice of it for fome time, a child brought brought to have a ftool regularly, after his breakfast every morning. § 28. How far any grown people will think fit to make trial of it, muft be left to them; tho' I cannot but fay, that confidering the many evils that come from that defect, of a requifite eafing of nature, I fcarce know any thing more conducing to the preservation of health, than this is. Once in four and twenty hours, I think is enough; and nobody I guefs will think it too much. And by this means it is to be obtained without phyfick,. which commonly proves very ineffectual in the cure of a fettled and habitual coftiveness. 29. This is all I have to trouble you with concerning his management in the ordinary. courle of his health. Perhaps it will be expected from me, that I fhould give Phyfick. fome directions of phyfick to prevent difeafes; for which I have on ly this one, very facredly to be observed, never to give children any phyfick for prevention. The obfervation of what I have already advifed, will, I fuppofe, do that better than the ladies diet-drinks or apothecaries medicines. Have a great care of tampering that way, left, inftead of preventing, you draw on difeafes. Nor even upon every little indifpofition is phyfick to be given, or the physician to be called to children, especially if he be a bufy man, that will prefently fill their win dows |