I hope these Observations on the Solids, will suffice to shew the Power of Exercise on this part of our Bodies; and if any of these Speculations may seem too nice, I would be understood, that I consider ’em as brought to a Habit, as frequently and closely repeated; not as the Use of Exercise is generally abus’d, being frequently undertaken, but seldom gone thro’ with. ’Tis the want of a due Notion of a Habit, which has occasion’d the Neglect of this valuable Medium in Physick: Did People allow but the same regard to this, as they do to all other Alterative Physick, it would soon appear, how great Effects it could produce. How ridiculous would a Man seem, who, when his Physician had recommended some Medicine to be taken to the quantity of a Drachm, or half a Drachm, should go and take half an Ounce of it, and then exclaim against the Medicine, that it disturb’d him, and did him a great deal of Mischief, and that he would never take it more: Or if instead of taking a moderate Quantity twice a day, for a considerable time, he should take that moderate Quantity but once in two or three days, and then exclaim that the Medicine was ineffectual? He that should act thus, would be thought to be a very unreasonable Person; and yet after this manner most sick People set upon the Use of Exercise. You shall have a Man ride fifteen or twenty Mile, when he should ride seven or eight, come home very much tyr’d, resolve never to be so serv’d again; and so perfectly lay aside all hopes of any good from the more moderate Use of that Exercise: Another shall ride out five or six Mile once in two or three days, finds no great matter of Relief, despairs of any Success from that Course, thinks it a trivial Thing, a meer Phancy, when the Physician does not know what to do, and so he wholly leaves off too: Now allowing moderate Exercise to be a Medium for the Recovering our Health, this is a very unfair way of making use of it; for when once a Distemper will not be driven out by rough Means, by Purging and Vomits, but we must come to Alterative Physick, the Work must go on gradually, and that Physick must be us’d without Intermission. What is the difference between Aliment and a Medicament, but this? The first is chang’d into our Nature; the last changes our Nature. Now it would be as ridiculous for a Man to expect that gentle Drugs or gentle Means should alter his Constitution, if taken with great Intervals, as it would be for a Man to expect that the Bulk of his Body should keep up or encrease, tho’ he eat but once in two or three Days; and whatever Regard is due to internal Alterative Physick, the same is due to the moderate Use of Exercise; for if by it the Secretions are equally promoted, and the Subject-Matter of the Disease brought to despume slowly; it is highly requisite, that these Means should be closely repeated, with Moderation; that Nature may not be confounded and weakned, instead of being reliev’d; and without any