ny organ, unless it was the spleen, which was not then remarkably
enlarged. I was myself disposed to attribute his symptoms to the spleen,
and possibly to the want of animal food; but he himself attributes its
commencement, if not its continuance, to the inhalation of the vapor of
arseniuretted and sulphuretted hydrogen gases, to which he was
subjected during some chemical experiments on the ores of cobalt, to
which he has been for a long time turning his attention; a circumstance
which I had not known until lately.

However it may be, he again returned to a mixed diet (to which however
he ascribes no agency in his recovery), and, after six months'
continuance in this state, he rapidly recovered his usual health and
strength, which, up to this day--two full years after the expiration of
six months--have continued good. In the treatment of his case no
medicine of any kind was given, to which any good effect can be
attributed; and indeed he may be said to have undergone no medical
treatment at all.

Yours, etc.,
J. M. B. HARDEN.

LETTER IX.--FROM JOSEPH RICKETSON, ESQ.

NEW BEDFORD, 8th month, 26th, 1835.

RESPECTED FRIEND,--Perhaps before giving answers to thy queries in the
American Journal of Medical Science, it may not be amiss to give thee
some account of my family and manner of living, to enable thee to judge
of the effect of a vegetable diet on the constitution.

I have a wife, a mother aged eighty-eight, and two female domestics. It
is now near three years since we adopted what is called the Graham or
vegetable diet, though not in its fullest extent. We exclude animal food
from our diet, but sometimes we indulge in shell and other fish. We use
no kind of stimulating liquors, either as drink or in cookery, nor any
other stimulants except occasionally a little spice. We do not, as
Professor Hitchcock would recommend, nor as I believe would be most
conducive to good health, live entirely simple; sometimes, however, for
an experiment, I have eaten only rice and milk; at other times only
potatoes and milk for my dinner; and have uniformly found I could endure
as much fatigue, and walk as far without inconvenience, as when I have
eaten a greater variety. We, however, endeavor to make our varieties
mostly at different meals.

For breakfast and tea we have some hot water poured upon milk, to which
we add a little sugar, and cold bread and butter; but in cold weather we
toast the bread, and prefer