In thus condemning the free use of ices at the end of a substantial meal, I do not, however, mean to say that a few tea-spoonfuls of them, eaten slowly, and allowed to acquire a higher temperature before reaching the stomach, will do permanent injury to a person in health and in the enjoyment of sound digestion. Many eat them in this way and are little the worse; partly from the subsequent reaction, as in bathing, being sufficient to counteract the depressing influence, and partly from a person in vigorous health being able to throw off causes of disease from which those who are less robustly constituted suffer severely. My belief however is, that the _tendency_ of ices, taken in such circumstances, is to produce mischief. A healthy person, for example, may possess vigour enough to escape injury from immersion in cold water, caused by the ice giving way when skating; but as well might it be inferred, on that account, that a similar immersion would be generally innocuous, and even salubrious, as that all may safely eat ices freely because a given individual has done so with impunity. Dr Beaumont’s experiment with the cold water shews clearly that the effect is to _lower the vital tone_ of the stomach; and, such being the case, those whose digestion is weak ought to be careful against impairing it still farther by the use of ices. In some instances, however, it is not improbable that they help to neutralize the bad effects of hot soup, and other dishes eaten at too high a temperature.