The system of reducing corpulency as adopted by William Banting, an old retired merchant of London, England, in 1863-4, by the advice and direction of Doctor William Harvey, of Soho square, in that city, though not by any means admissible or advisable for training purposes, we give the substance for the benefit of any one who feels interested. At the time Mr. Banting commenced his reducing system he was sixty-six years of age, weighed 202 pounds, standing only 5ft. 5in. in height, and, having spent seven years in consultation with the greatest medical lights of England for relief of his affliction, but in vain. He had followed an active business life of fifty years, and attributed his obesity not to neglect of necessary bodily activity nor from excessive eating, drinking, or self-indulgence of any kind, except that he partook of simple aliments of bread, milk, butter, beer, sugar, and potatoes more freely than his aged nature required, and hence he believes the generation of the parasite, detrimental to comfort, if not really to health. He tried both rowing before breakfast for two hours and other bodily exercises; also sea air and bathing in various localities; took gallons of physic and liqure potassae, rode much on horseback, and tried the waters and climate of various springs in England, as well as Turkish and vapor baths, shampooing, etc. Banting could not stoop to tie his shoe, had to walk backwards down stairs to save the jar of increased weight upon the ankle and knee-joints, puffed and blowed at every exertion, particularly going up stairs, suffered from an umbilical rupture, had to wear a truss as well as knee bandages, his sight failed and hearing became impaired, he had indigestion, heartburn, palpitation of the heart, and could not attend to the little offices which humanity required without considerable pain and difficulty, which only the corpulent man can understand.

Upon consulting Dr. Harvey, previously alluded to, he was told that all his ailments were caused principally by corpulence, and prescribed a certain diet, no medicine beyond a morning cordial as a corrective, with immense effect and advantage both to his hearing and the decrease of his corpulence. The items from which he was advised to abstain as much as possible were bread, butter, milk, sugar, parsnips, beet root, turnips, carrots, champagne, port, beer and potatoes, on account of their containing starch or saccharine matter, tending to create fat; smoking was not prohibited. This is the diet prescribed by Doctor Harvey: for breakfast, four or five ounces of beef, mutton, kidneys, broiled fish, bacon, or cold meat of any kind except pork, owing to its fattening character; or veal, on account of its indigestible quality; a large cup of tea (without milk or sugar), a little biscuit, or one ounce of dry toast; for dinner, five or six ounces of any fish except salmon, herrings and eels (owing to their oily nature); any meat except pork or veal; any vegetable except potato, parsnips, beet root, turnips or carrots; one ounce of dry toast, fruit out of a pudding, any kind of poultry or game, and two or three glasses of good claret, sherry, or madeira; for tea, two or three ounces of fruit, a rusk or two, and a cup of tea without milk or sugar; for supper, three or four ounces of meat, or fish, similar to dinner, with a glass or two of claret—night-cap, if required, a tumbler of grog (gin, whiskey, or brandy, without sugar) or a glass or two of claret or sherry. Eggs, if not hard boiled, are unexceptionable; also cheese, if sparingly used, and plain boiled rice.

On rising in the morning, between six and seven, Banting took a tablespoonful of a special corrective cordial, not aperient, and partook of solids and liquids as follows: about five or six ounces solid and eight of liquid for breakfast; eight ounces of solid and eight ounces of liquid for dinner; three ounces of solid and eight of liquid for tea; four ounces of solid and six ounces of liquid for supper and the grog afterwards. He took his meals as follows: breakfast between eight and nine; dinner between one and two; tea between five and six; supper at nine. His former dietary table was bread and milk for breakfast, or a pint of tea with plenty of milk and sugar, and buttered toast; meat, beer, much bread, and pastry for dinner; the tea similar to that of breakfast, and generally a fruit tart or bread and milk for supper.