Wesley Corpus

Cheyne well observes, it is not generally the quality, but the quantity, of what we eat which hurts us. What hurts the nerves in particular, is the eating too much animal food, especially at night; much more the eating at one meal foods of several different kinds. If we consider how few observe this, we shall not wonder that so many have nervous disorders; especially among those that have an opportunity of indulging themselves daily in variety, and who are hereby continually tempted to eat more than nature. requires. 7. But there is another sort of intemperance, of which I think Dr. Cadogan does not take the least notice. And yet it is the source of more nervous disorders than even intem perance in food; I mean, intemperance in sleep; the sleeping longer than nature requires. This alone will account for the weak nerves of most of our Nobility and Gentry. Not that I would insist upon the old rule, - Sex horas quivis poscit, septemque scholaris; Octo viator habet; nebulo quisque novem.” I would allow between six and seven hours, at an average, to a healthy man; or an hour more, between seven and eight hours, to an unhealthy man. And I do not remember, that in threescore years I have known either man or woman who laid longer in bed than this, (whether they slept or no,) but in some years they complained of lowness of spirits. The plain reason of which seems to be, while we sleep all the springs of nature are unbent. And if we sleep longer than is sufficient, they are relaxed more than is sufficient, and of course grow weaker and weaker. And if we lie longer in bed, though without sleep, the very posture relaxes the whole body; much more when we are covercd up with clothes, which throw back on the body whatever perspires. from it. By this means it is stewed in the moist vapour: It * Thus paraphrastically translated by an anonymous writer in the Arminian Magazine : “Six hours for sleep the human frame requires; IIard students may to seven incline; To eight, the men whom toil or travelling tires; But lazy knaves will all have nine.”-ED 1 r.