The code of health and longevity, or, a general view of the rules and principles calculated for the preservation of health, and the attainment of long life / by John Sinclair.

  • Sinclair, John, Sir, 1754-1835.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The code of health and longevity, or, a general view of the rules and principles calculated for the preservation of health, and the attainment of long life / by John Sinclair. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    hardly be required from a person, who has directed his pe- culiar attention to such subjects, for venturing to lay before the public, the result of his inquiries regarding them. It may next be proper briefly to explain, how it has happen- ed, that an individual unconnected with the medical profession, has been led to direct his attention so particularly to the sub- jects of Health and Longevity, as to consider himself com.pe- tent to the task of submitting to others, his opinions regard- ing branches of science, with which his pursuits in general; liave no immediate connexion. Sect. II. Chxumstances which led to the Undertaking. Though naturally possessed of a sound constitution, un- tainted by any hereditary disease, yet, about the year 1797, the Author, having fallen into a weak and enervated state, found himself unequal to the task, of prosecuting useful inqui- ries, or of applying his miiul to political pursuits, with his for- mer zeal and energy. Even the management of his private concerns became a burden to him. As he advanced in life, he found many of his contemporaries either declining in health, or sinking prematurely into the grave; and in carrying on a great national work *, he had occasion to observe, that even in the healthiest districts, very few of the human species, in proportion to the numbers born, attain any considerable age. But above all, it was a matter of regret to find, that even among those who attained long life, many had their existence embittered by disease, and their life rendered burdensome, both to themselves and to others. • The Statistical Account of Scotland, which gives a description of every parish in tliat part of the United Kingdom, with enumerations of tiie inhabitants in each,—their ages,—healthiness of the district, &c.