An epistle to a friend, on the means of preserving health, promoting happiness : and prolonging the life of man to its natural period : being a summary view of inconsiderate and useless habits that derange the system of nature, thereby causing premature old age and death : with some thoughts on the best means of preventing and overcoming disease / by Charles W. Peale.

  • Peale, Charles Willson, 1741-1827.
Date:
1803
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An epistle to a friend, on the means of preserving health, promoting happiness : and prolonging the life of man to its natural period : being a summary view of inconsiderate and useless habits that derange the system of nature, thereby causing premature old age and death : with some thoughts on the best means of preventing and overcoming disease / by Charles W. Peale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    PREFACE. The followiing sheets were occasioned on hearing of the i?idisposition of a person in a public station^ whose death would be a public loss—As the latter ad'uanced, the subject be- came wore interesting^ and naturally led to refections that were not necessary to co?nmuni- cate to the person it was intended for, and having other friends to whom the ideas it con- tained^ might be acceptable^ determined to have it printed^ with a greater detail of reflec- tions^ under a fond hope that by using strongs yet simple language drawn from facts^ found- ed on actual experiments^ that it might induce some of my readers to think for themseheSy and on consulting their feelings^ thus be led to the manly resolution of governing their con- duct by reason^' and to act independent of fa- shion or custom* The preservation of health is so very im- portant^ that we might suppose that no ivell- disposed person could be led into any kind of excess or intemperance^ knowing the natuv-al consequence to be not only debility of the body^