Class IV. i. 2. 15. OF ASSOCIATION. 383 



tack of gout ; that fit was very fcvere, and of many weeks con- 

 tinuance. I now determined upon a more abftemious method 

 of living, in refpect to wine ; and indeed the fociety, in which 

 I had before been accuftomed to live, being confiderably chang- 

 ed, I had lefs frequent temptations to excels. From this time I 

 enjoyed the molt perfect good ftate of health till Auguft 1784, 

 when I had my fecond attack of gout. I never perfectly recov- 

 ered from this attack through the fucceedinp winter, and in 



O 1' 1 



March 1785, was advifed to try the Bath waters, and drank 

 them under the direction of one of the faculty of that place. 

 I was there fcon feized with a fever, and a flight attack of gout 

 in one knee. I fhould obferve, that when I fet out from home, 

 I was in a weak and low ftate, and unequal to much fatigue -, as 

 appeared by my having a fainting fit one day on the road, after 

 having travelled only about fifty miles ; in the courfe of the 

 fummer I had two or three more flight attacks of gout of lefs 

 confequence, till the month of October ; when I was afflicted 

 with it all over me in fuch a manner, as to be without the pof- 

 fibility of the leaft degree of removal for fome days ; and was 

 about two months without bein^ able to get into the air. This 

 was the fevered attack I had then experienced ; though I have 

 fince had feveral equally fevere. In the courfe of this fummer 

 1 had a fall with my horfe ; and foon after it, having difcovered 

 an enlargement on one elbow, I concluded I had hurt it at that 

 time ; but in the courfe of this lalt attack having a fimilar en- 

 largement on the other elbow, I found my miiiake, and that 

 they were collections of gouty matter ; thefe increafed to the 

 fize of pullet's eggs, and continue in that ftate. I had foon af- 

 ter fimilar enlargements on my heels ; the right heel being fe~ 

 verely bruifed, I was under the neceftity of having it lanced, and 

 a large quantity of chalky matter was difcharged from it ; and 

 have fince that time frequently had chalky matter taken from 

 it, and fometimes fmall bits of apparently periect chalk. My 

 right hand was foon afflicted in the fame way, and I have fcarce- 

 ly a joint on thofe fingers now in a natural ftate. My left hand 

 has eicaped tolerably well. After this lalt attack (viz. October 

 1 785), I had two or three flight attacks before the month of June 

 1787, when I had a very fevere intermittent fever; from that 

 time I continued very well till the latter end of the year, when I 

 began to feel the gout about me very much, but was not confin- 

 ed by it. I was in this ftate advifed to try what is called the 

 American Recipe (gum guaiacum and nitre diflblved in fpirits) ; 

 k had apparently been of effential fervice to a friend of mine, 

 who from the inability to walk a mile for fome years, was be- 

 lieved to be reftored by the ufc of this medicine to a good (late 



of 



