I think, with all lusty men, the drinking of malt Liquor of any kind is injurious,—Meat taken more than once a day is liable to the same Objection. I still persevere in the disuse of malt Liquors and Spirits, and Suppers, seldom taking more than four Glasses of Wine as a habit,—although I do not now deem it necessary to make myself so far the Slave of habit, as to refuse the Pleasures of the Table when they offer.
I am, dear Sir,
Yours very truly,
The following are the most interesting Facts in Dr. Bryan Robinson’s Essay on the Food and Discharges of the Human Body, 8vo. 1748, which has become scarce.
“I am now, in May 1747, in the 68th year of my age. The length of my Body is 63 Inches: I am of a sanguine but not robust constitution—and am at present neither lean nor fat. In the year 1721 the Morning weight of my body without Clothes, was about 131 Avoirdupois pounds, the daily weight of my food at a medium was about 85 Avoirdupois ounces, and the proportion of my Drink to my Meat, I judge was at that time about 2.5—to 1.
“At the latter end of May 1744, my weight was above 164 pounds, and the proportion of my Drink to my Meat was considerably greater than before, and had been so for some time. I was then seized with a Paralytic disorder, which obliged me to make an alteration in my diet. In order to settle the proportion of my Drink to my Meat, I considered what others have said concerning this proportion.
“According to Sanctorius, though he reckons it a disproportion, the drink to the meat in his time, was about 10 to 3 in temperate bodies.
| Cornaro’s drink to his Meat, was as | 7 to 6. |
| Mr. Rye’s, in winter, as | 4 to 3. |
| Dr. Lining’s, at a medium | 11 to 3. |
| And my drink to my meat | 5 to 2. |
| A mean taken from all these makes the Drink to the Meat—about | 2 to 1. |
B. Robinson on Food and Discharges, p. 34.