nxieties. Nearly every one who
knew of the facts in his case was alarmed, and many did not hesitate to
cry out, even in his hearing, "He must be physicked, or die!" And their
fears and croakings, by leading him to turn his attention to his
internal feelings, greatly added to his difficulties.

My principal aim, as his friend and physician, was to convince him that
there was no necessity of anxiety on the subject, as long as none of the
various functions of the system were impaired. As long as digestion,
circulation, respiration, perspiration, etc., were tolerably well
performed, and his general health was not on the decline, it was not
very material, as I assured him, whether his alvine movements were once
a day, once in two days, or once a week.

The various emunctories or outlets of the body should, undoubtedly, be
kept open and free, so that every portion of worn-out or effete matter
may be effectually got rid of. In order to have this done in the very
best manner, it is indispensably necessary that we should eat, drink,
breathe, sleep, and exercise the muscles and all the mental and moral
powers daily. And yet we are to such an extent the creatures of habit,
that we can, in all these respects, bring ourselves to almost any thing
we choose, and yet pass on, for a time, very comfortably. Thus we may
eat once, twice, thrice, or five times a day, and if possessed of a good
share of constitutional vigor, we may even accustom ourselves to
considerable variation from the general rule with regard to drinking,
sleeping, exercise, temperature, etc. Healthy men have been able to
maintain their health, in tolerable measure, for a long time, without
drink, without exercise, and even without sleep. Of the truth of this
last remark, I could give you, did time and space permit, many
well-attested, not to say striking facts.

I was not wholly successful in my attempts at quieting the mind and
feelings of my aged patient or his friends. And yet his erratic habit
was never entirely broken up. He lived to the age of fourscore without
suffering much more from what are usually called the infirmities of age,
than most other old men. It must not, however, be concealed that he
possessed what has been sometimes denominated an iron constitution.

Mr. Locke strongly insists that children should be trained, from the
very first, to diurnal habits of the kind in question; and I cannot help
thinking that such habits should be secured very early