The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1865-07-31
EXCESSIVE CORPULENCY.

A man who was afflicted with corpulency,
growing fat 80 rapidly that be feared the time
would arrive when he would be unable to
walk or even move, without assistance, has
published statement Of his case, and the
method be adopted to overcome the tendency
to i! crease iii fatne;s
Hs was about sixty years of age when he
commenced changing five feet FIVE inches
high; and increased in bulk 30 rapidly, that
he feared he wonld he as broad he was
long. lie oonaultod physicians they recOms
mehded bread and inilk and plenty OF exer~
Disc He tried ''both, ana grew fatter. He
starved himself, used dumb bells, walked
roVed and run, but the fat would increase,
and he viewed his form with despair, as he
saw that he made no Impression upon the
mass OF flesh that bnrdehfd the earth as he
walked
At lenglh our TAT friend commenced treats
ing his disease after his own ideas of what
was proper to reduce the fie8h. He abstain
ed as far as possible from bread, butter.
milk, sugar, beer and potatoes, which had been
his main suppori, because hese contained aacs
char,ne mate tending to create fat. At
first it seemed TO him Thai ne had but little
left to live upon. But by allowing himself a
liberal diet OF other kinds of food. he got
along far better Thus, for breakfast he
5
kidneys, hroiled fab or cold mest Of any
kind except pork, large cup OF tea with
milk or sugar, a little biscuit, OR an ounce of
dry toast; il all, about FIVE ounces of solid
food, and eight of liquid For dinner, five or
six ounces Of any fsh except salmon, any
meat except pork, any vegetables except pota-
to, .ona ounce of dry toast, fruit out of "a pud-
| ding, any kind of game or poultry, and two
| or hree glasses of good claret, cherry or
madera-e champagne, port or beer, forbid
den For tea two or three ounces of fruit,
lusk or two, and cup of tea without milk
AMI sugar. For supper, three or four ounces
OF meat or fish, with glass or two OF oiaret.
| 10 all he takes about twenty ounces of solid
food and thirty of liquid, being particularly
careful to avoid all starchy and sacehariue
matter. -... .....
Eot bad diet, in these times of hard pri-
Gee. But it had the effect intended for in less
than one year he had reduced his weight
from 202 pounds to l56, and rednred the size
of his waist II inches.
The fat man says,
stThyee important desiderata have been at
tended by lhe most easy and comfortable
means, with but little medicine, and almost
entirely by system of diet should formerly
have thought dangerously generous. am
told by all that knows me that nv psrsopaI
RI 10 ipuSh dIQ can
honestly assert tina, feel restored in health
bodily and mentally, appear to have more
muscular power anu yigor, eat and drink
with good appetite, and sleep we'll: All
sympotoms Of accidity, indigestion and heart.
burn with which [ was frequently tormented,
have yanshed.'
He proceeds to add that he has lost the
feeling of occasional faintness. He has left
off bent hookers, because he can stoap with
perfect freedom
Forty years ago, the celebrated Abernethy
reccom ended all his patients to live on four
oune for a meal, and take but three meals q
day. He killed most of his patients and the
rest soon l. # off. But we have no doubt that
pel oas troubled with inoonvenient corpulency
might fad great relief by altering the quality
OF tn if food under the care of a judicioas and
thoughtful medical man, without any sud-
den, radical or inconvenient alteration of the
quanity. All changes should be guided by
verySgreas medical experience. But by at
t. niton tosths matter among physicians, the
lives OF many OF the most valuable of our Cts
liens might be preserved, and health and
happyness much promoted, for corpulence is
ia Itself great proof of the great strength of
The gitais. 1t is, In fact natures method of
laying by store of superfuous strength and
porwer tor the time when the vital forces
may give way