s,
what was, as I conceive, pretty fully established by the symptoms which
existed, is rendered still more certain by auscultation. The sounds
which are heard during respiration, in the region to which I have
alluded, leave no doubt on the minds of skillful medical men, of their
origin. Still I doubt whether the disease has made any considerable
progress for many years.

But, during the winter of 1837-8, my employments became excessively
laborious; and, for the whole winter and spring, were sufficient for at
least two healthy and strong men. They were also almost wholly
sedentary. At the end of May, I took a long and rather fatiguing journey
through a country by no means the most healthy, and came home somewhat
depressed in mind and body, especially the former. I was also unusually
emaciated, and I began to have fears of a decline. Still, however, my
appetite was good, and I had a good share of bodily strength. The more I
directed my attention to myself, the worse I became; and I actually soon
began to experience darting pains in the chest, together with other
symptoms of a renewal of pulmonary disease. Perceiving my danger,
however, from the state of my mind, I at length made a powerful effort
to shake off the mental disturbance--which succeeded. This, together
with moderate labor and rather more exercise than before, seemed
gradually to set me right.

Again, in the spring of 1848, after lecturing for weeks and
months--often in bad and unventilated rooms and subjecting myself,
unavoidably, to many of those abuses which exist every where in
society, I was attacked with a cough, followed by great debility, from
which it cost me some three months or more of labor with the spade and
hoe, to recover. With this and the exceptions before named, I have now,
for about twenty years, been as healthy as ever I was in my life, except
the slight tendency to cold during the winter of which I have already
taken notice. I never was more cheerful or more happy; never saw the
world in a brighter aspect; never before was it more truly "morning all
day" with me. I have paid, in part, the penalty of my transgressions;
and may, perhaps, go on, in life, many years longer.

I now fear nothing in the future, so far as health and disease are
concerned, so much as excessive alimentation. To this evil--and it is a
most serious and common one in this land of abundance and busy
activity--I am much exposed, both from the keenness of my appetite, a