The same principle explains the well-known fact that many sportsmen, who, while living a sedentary life in town, are easily affected by even a small quantity of spirits, yet bear triple the quantity, with apparent impunity, under the influence of inspiriting exercise in a pure mountain-air: on resuming their former habits, the spirits again affect them as readily as before. As a support to the system in cases which require it, wine is in general far preferable to spirits of any description. The former, when seasonably used, communicates a more healthful and permanent tone to the frame; while spirits impart a strong and unnatural stimulus, which is sooner or later followed by collapse and debility--and hence the incessant craving for more when the system has once been accustomed to them. Ardent spirits, therefore, ought to be used only as a medical remedy. At present, however, this is so far from being the case, that they are resorted to on all occasions, afflictive and convivial, as if they were a specific against every evil. Among the poor, especially, whisky or gin is considered a sovereign remedy for every disease. Even to infants it is administered with a recklessness which savours strongly of barbarism, and the consequences are as might be expected--deplorable. Among the higher classes, too, brandy and strong stimuli are in more frequent use than they ought to be; and medical men should be on their guard against directly or indirectly encouraging, in their patients, a practice so utterly destructive to both physical and moral happiness. For, in some instances, it is to be feared that the stimulant bitters and anti-spasmodics, so generally had recourse to in indigestion and nervous diseases, have had an unsuspected share in the formation of a habit of intemperance.