that Nature will in this respect, by perseverance, acquire a habit of regularity. The most proper time for that purpose, is either early in the morning, or late in the evening.
In many families, costiveness is hereditary. It may also arise from a debilitated state of the intestinal canal, occasioned by diseases, but more frequently from the habitual use of lean meat, game, red port wine, strong malt liquors, and similar articles of food and drink. From whatever cause it may originate, continual exercise in the open air, and abstinence from heating or intoxical liquors, will be found very beneficial.
In those cases, however, where inveterate costiveness has once taken place, and the usual simple remedies have proved abortive, carbon, or charcoal (divested of its oxygen by heat), has been administered with uncommon success. Nor has it in any instance failed to procure the desired relief; though its operation has sometimes been rather too violent: to obviate this inconvenience, we would recommend three drams of carbon finely levigated, to be mixed with three ounces of lenitive electuary, and two drams of carbonat of soda. Of this mixture, from half an ounce to one, and even two ounces, may be taken twice, thrice, or oftener, in the course of the day, as circumstances may require.
COTTAGE, properly signifies a small dwelling-house, independently of any lands attached to it. By stat. 31 Eliz. c. 7, no man can build a cottage unless he annex four acres of land thereto; except in market-towns or cities, or within a mile of the sea, or for the habitatiqn of labourers in mines, sailors, foresters, shepherds, &c.; as likewise those erected by the order of justices of the peace.—The four acres of land required to constitute a cottage, by the law, are to be freehold, and land of inheritance.
According to William Morton Pitt, Esq. the ingenious author of an Address to the Landed Interest; there are few parishes without several rough, encumbered, and uncultivated tracts, which might be converted inio large gardens, and on which cottages might be built, either by the poor themselves, to be held on lives, or at the expence of the parish. If such habitations were more attainable by the poor, frugality would revive amongst them, and young people would strive to lay up a sum of money for this purpose. The hope of improving their lot is the mainspring of industry, in all stations of life. The prosperity of this country has been attributed, not only to the spirit of enterprize of our merchants and manufacturers, but likewise to the effect, which the possession and security of property have on the minds of men.
The produce of a garden diminishes the consumption of bread, which is the most considerable article of a poor man's expenditure: it is an advantage wholly created by the cultivator's industry, at times when not otherwise engaged, as well as by that of his wife and children; consequently there is so much labour gained to the community.
Every man, who is averse to increase the wages of labour in husbandry, should at least encourage the culture of gardens. The quantity of land to be attached to such a cottage, might be half an acre, of
