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_IT is a common Say|ing, That every Man past Forty is either a Fool or a Physician: It might have been as justly added, that he was a Divine too: For, as the World goes at present, there is not any Thing that the Generality of the better Sort of Mankind so lavishly and so unconcern|edly throw away as Health, except eter|nal Felicity. Most Men know when they
are ill, but very few when they are well. And yet it is most certain, that 'tis ea|sier to preserve Health than to recover it, and to prevent Diseases than to cure them. Towards the first, the Means are mostly in our own Power: Little else is required than to bear and forbear. But towards the latter, the Means are perplexed and uncertain; and for the Knowledge of them the far greatest Part of Mankind must apply to others, of whose Skill and Honesty they are in a great measure ignorant, and the Benefit of whose Art they can but conditionally and precautiously obtain. A crazy Con|stitution, original weak Nerves, dear|bought Experience in Things helpful and hurtful, and long Observation on the Complaints of others, who came for Relief to this universal Infirmary, BATH, have at last (in some measure) taught me some of the most effectual Means of preserving Health and prolonging Life in those who are tender and sickly, and labour under chronical Distempers. And I thought I could not spend my leisure Hours better than by putting together the most gene|ral Rules for that Purpose, and setting them in the clearest and strongest Light I could, for the Benefit of those who
may want them, and yet have not had such favourable Opportunities to learn them.
And that I might write with some Order and Connexion, I have cho|sen to make some Observations and Re|flections on the Nonnaturals (as they are called, possibly because that in their pre|ternatural State they are eminently inju|rious to human Constitutions; or more probably, because tho' they be necessary to the Subsistence of Man, yet in respect of him, they may be considered as ex|ternal, or different from the internal Causes that produce Diseases) to wit, 1. The Air we breathe in. 2. Our Meat and Drink. 3. Our Sleep and Watch|ing. 4. Our Exercise and Rest. 5. Our Evacuations and their Obstructions. 6. The Passions of our Minds: And lastly, to add some Observations that come not so naturally under any of these Heads. I shall not consider here how philosophi|cally these Distinctions are made; they seem to me, the best general Heads for bringing in those Observations and Re|flections I am to make in the following Pages.
The Reflection is not more common than just, That he who lives physically must live miserably. The Truth is, too great Nicety and Exactness about every minute Circumstance that may im|pair our Health, is such a Yoke and Sla|very, as no Man of a generous free Spi|rit would submit to. 'Tis, as a Poet ex|presses it, to die for fear of Dying. And to forbear or give over a just, charitable, or even generous Office of Life, from a too scrupulous Regard to Health, is un|worthy of a Man, much more of a Chri|stian. But then, on the other Hand, to cut off our Days by Intemperance, Indi|scretion, and guilty Passions, to live mi|serably for the sake of gratifying a sweet Tooth, or a brutal Itch; to die Martyrs to our Luxury and Wantonness, is equal|ly beneath the Dignity of human Nature, and contrary to the Homage we owe to the Author of our Being. Without some Degree of Health, we can neither be a|greeable to ourselves, nor useful to our Friends; we can neither relish the Bles|sings of divine Providence to us in Life, nor acquit ourselves of our Duties to our Maker, or our Neighbour. He that wantonly transgresseth the self-evident
Rules of Health, is guilty of a Degree of Self-Murder; and an habitual Perse|verance therein is direct * 1.1Suicide, and consequently, the greatest Crime he can commit against the Author of his Being; as it is slighting and despising the noblest Gift he could bestow upon him, viz. the Means of making himself infinitely happy; and also as it is a treacherous for|saking the Post, wherein his Wisdom has placed him, and thereby rendering him|self incapable of answering the Designs of his Providence over him. The infi|nitely wise Author of Nature has so contrived Things, that the most remark|able RULES of preserving LIFE and HEALTH are moral Duties commanded us, so truē it is, that Godliness has the Promises of this Life, as well as that to come.
Self-Murder.