to shorten the span of human life, sooner
rendering the system incapable of being stimulated into action by the
nutrientia. See Sect XXXVII. 4. On the same account life is shorter in
warmer climates than in more temperate ones.

II. OBSERVATIONS ON THE NUTRIENTIA.

I. 1. The flesh of animals contains more nourishment, and stimulates our
absorbent and secerning vessels more powerfully, than the vegetable
productions, which we use as food; for the carnivorous animals can fast
longer without injury than the graminivorous; and we feel ourselves warmer
and stronger after a meal of flesh than of grain. Hence in diseases
attended with cold extremities and general debility this kind of diet is
preferred; as in rickets, dropsy, scrophula, and in hysteric and
hypochondriac cases, and to prevent the returns of agues. Might not flesh
in small quantities bruised to a pulp be more advantageously used in fevers
attended with debility than vegetable diet?

That flesh, which is of the darkest colour, generally contains more
nourishment, and stimulates our vessels more powerfully, than the white
kinds. The flesh of the carnivorous and piscivorous animals is so
stimulating, that it seldom enters into the food of European nations,
except the swine, the Soland goose (Pelicanus Bassanus), and formerly the
swan. Of these the swine and the swan are fed previously upon vegetable
aliment; and the Soland goose is taken in very small quantity, only as a
whet to the appetite. Next to these are the birds, that feed upon insects,
which are perhaps the most stimulating and the most nutritive of our usual
food.

It is said that a greater quantity of volatile alkali can be obtained from
this kind of flesh, to which has been ascribed its stimulating quality. But
it is more probable, that fresh flesh contains only the elements of
volatile alkali.

2. Next to the dark coloured flesh of animals, the various tribes of
shell-fish seem to claim their place, and the wholesome kinds of mushrooms,
which must be esteemed animal food, both for their alkalescent tendency,
their stimulating quality, and the quantity of nourishment, which they
afford; as oysters, lobsters, crabfish, shrimps; mushrooms; to which
perhaps might be added some of the fish without scales; as the eel,
barbolt, tench, smelt, turbot, turtle.

The flesh of many kinds of fish, when it is supposed to have undergone a
beginning putrefaction, becomes luminous in the dark. This seems to shew a