fore be concluded, from such an abundance of facts, that our present exemption from the scurvy is, in a great measure, owing to the general use of this valuable root.

367. A physician, in answer to Dr. North, states that he had been subject to severe attacks of epilepsy; but, having maintained a total abstinence from flesh, fish, and fowl, for two years and a half, he had been entirely free from any attack. He adds:- "That this happy immunity from a most obstinate disease, is to be attributed solely to my abstinence from animal food, I do not feel prepared to assert; but that my general health has been better, my attacks of disease far milder, my vigour of mind and body greater, my mental perceptions clearer and more acute, and my enjoyment of life, on the whole, very essentially increased, I am fully prepared to prove."

368. Dr. Cheyne relates a remarkable cure of epilepsy, in the case of Dr. Taylor; who was, for a long time, dreadfully afflicted with epileptic fits. He tried the effects of medicine, and consulted all the most eminent of his brethren of the medical profession, in and about London; but obtained no relief. At last, he was obliged to follow the advice of Dr. Sydenham, whose works he had studied. He first discontinued the use of all fermented and distilled liquors; then, finding his fits become less frequent and less violent, he gave up all animal food, and confined himself entirely to cow's milk. In the course of a year or two he was perfectly cured; and, for seventeen years, enjoyed as good health as human

nature is capable of. He assured Dr. Cheyne that, although considerably advanced in years, he could then play at cricket six hours without fatigue or distress; and was more active and clear in his faculties, than he had ever been in his whole life. He also said he had cured a great many persons, of inveterate distempers, by means of the same diet.

369. Adam Ferguson, Professor of Moral Philosophy, was seized (about fifty years of age) with apoplexy and palsy; in consequence of which, he was confined to a vegetable and milk diet. For nearly forty years, he tasted no meat, drank nothing but water and a little weak tea, and took no suppers. When he was about seventy years of age, all his paralytic symptoms had disappeared; and his health was so excellent, for a person of his years, as to excite universal admiration. This continued till he was nearly ninety. His mind, up to this time, was almost as entire as in his younger days: none of his bodily functions, except his sight, were much impaired. So perfect, indeed, was the condition of his physical frame, that nobody unacquainted with his history would have supposed that he had ever been apoplectic or paralytic. He died at the age of ninety-three. Dr. Cranstown, after suffering greatly (for four or five years) from chronic dysentery, was cured completely by milk and farinaceous diet.

370. Dr. Cheyne-the celebrated physician alluded to in several preceding paragraphs-lived freely; and became so enormously stout, that he weighed thirty-two stones; and was obliged to have the whole side of his

chariot open to receive him. He became short-breathed, lethargic, nervous, and scorbutic: he tried the power of medicine in vain, and was only cured by resorting to a vegetable and milk-diet. It is said that, upon this diet, he reduced himself to the weight of ten stones!

371. Dr. Joshua Porter, of North Brookfield, says :"I have been called to prescribe for a man who has been a flesh-eater for more than half a century. He was confined to his house; and had been losing his strength for several months;-still keeping up his old habits. The disease which was preying upon him, was chronic inflammation of the right leg: the flesh had been so long swollen and inflamed, that it had become hard to the touch. There were ulcers on his thigh; and some had made their appearance on his hip. This disease had been of seven months' standing; though not in so aggravated a form as it now appeared. After examining the patient attentively, I became convinced that the disease which developed itself locally, was of a constitutional origin; and, of course, not to be cured by local remedies, which had been applied for the period above mentioned. All local applications were discontinued; and the patient. was put on a vegetable diet, after the alimentary canal was freely evacuated. I saw this man three days afterwards: the dark purple appearance of the leg, had somewhat subsided; the red and angry appearance about the base of the ulcers was gone, and his strength improved. Three days after I called, I found him in his garden at work. He is now-two weeks since my first prescription

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almost well. All the ulcers have healed, with the exception of one or two."

372. But the most remarkable cure of this kind, is recorded in "The Lancet" for May 14, 1842, by Mr. S. Rowbotham, Surgeon, of Stockport. The son of a Mr. Fielding, of that town, about three years old, had been ill eighteen months. He was covered, from head to foot, with ulcers: his eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and (in fact) his whole head and face, were involved in one complete mass of fetid running sores and ulcers; and the lower part of his body was equally bad;-so that his little thighs seemed nearly separating from his body. For more than twelve months, he had been quite blind; and had never been able to sit down, even on a pillow; but stood upon his foot, and leaned with his elbow upon the nurse;except at times, when he was able to kneel on a pillow: he had scarcely been able to lie in bed for the same period. Eight of the most eminent medical men had given him up as incurable; and some of them declared, that no known mortal power could even improve his condition, much less effect a cure. "From certain views which I held on the origin of disease", says Mr. Rowbotham, "I was induced to recommend a diet consisting almost entirely of ripe fruits and honey, or sugar and treacle. The child commenced this diet on the 13th of September, 1841: he had stewed fruits, mixed with sugar or honey, to all his meals; and was allowed frequently to eat grapes, cherries, plums, apples, pears, and such other fruits as could be obtained. On the 16th, the sores on his back were beginning to disappear; on the 23rd, he was

very sensibly improved; on the 30th, one-half of his face was clear; the lower parts of his body were much better; and he could sit in a chair, and lie comfortably in bed. He continued daily to improve, till (at last) his eyes opened; but they were at first very weak, and he could scarcely see any thing: his sight, however, gradually improved. On the 1st of January, 1842, not a single ulcer remained on his body: the skin became remarkably clear and fair; and the features-which, for twelve months, had been in such a state that it was impossible to do more than guess at the position of his nose and eyes—were restored to their wonted appearance."

373. The report of this case reflects great honour upon Mr. Rowbotham. Had he been influenced by mercenary motives, and a desire to acquire fame at the expense of truth, he might easily have done so, by attributing the cure to some occult treatment; but it does not appear that he employed any medicine. This case, therefore, may be regarded as going far to prove, that a natural diet not only is the best food, but also the very best physic. Such, however, is the force of prejudice and credulity, and the love of mystery, that we have far greater confidence in a few grains of nauseous vegetable matter, in the form of "Old Parr's" or "Morison's Pills", than we have in pounds of wholesome and pleasant vegetable matter, in the shape of fruit. Many will tempt the appetite with fruit, after a hearty dinner of sundry compounds, when it is almost certain to produce bad effects; but few think of making it a part of their daily meal,which is the proper way of employing it.