Ourselves, our food, and our physic / by Benjamin Ridge.

  • Ridge, Benjamin
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ourselves, our food, and our physic / by Benjamin Ridge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    occupation. No maai should bo without employment, pro- fessional or otherwise. If ho bo independent, he is most unfortunate if he cannot make an occui)ation that will com- mand a due portion of his time every day. The body being employed, the mind always accompanies it; nevertheless, the mind should have an additional occupation of its own. It should be cultivated and stored with useful matter ; for mdcss it is so, it falls into the great error of idleness and frivolities, and leads the body into sloth, and often something worse. A lofty mind will always be based on duo princiides of religion and usefulness. A debased mind, having eschewed these, becomes defective in every relation of life. A well- regulated, well-stored mind becomes strong, and can judge dispassionately ; is satisfied and reasonable in all its desires, and is healthy. An ill-regulated mind is never satisfied, but tossed about by morbid influences, and therefore is diseased. The body may be healtliy, but thought and imagi- nation often cause it to droop and lose its vigour, and if this continues, no food nourishes it. Tlie mind must cure itself by all those arte which it can alone engender from its own resources. A rational enjoyment of life in the happy una- nimity of body and mind, tlie one producing health to the other in turn, constitutes the j)erfection of a tranquil existence, A luuchible ambition, coupled with great industry, will often attain the end sought after ; but if they do not, the purpose is answered in one way at least by the right usage of time. Non-success should never discourage any one; the greatest men, and those of high aspirations, have often the hardest trials and most disappointments, of which the plodding and miambitious know nothing. Many have the desire for fame or position, but not the necessary mental qualification to gain them; others that strive for these may not be sufiiciently persevering, and so lay down the load by the wayside, whilst the persevering carry it on to the journey’s end. Society is pleasing and necessary, because it leads to diversity of thought and ideas, and like judicious study and reading of books of information, much wheat may bo gathered from many stores. Tlie recluse often misses tlie opjiortunity of improvement, which comes thi'ough the contact and influence of others. So comiilicated and subtle is all that relates to mind and matter, that wo can only see facts to wonder at