*** DISEASES Class IV. i. a. 16, 



-, 



tacking two fimilar parts at the fame time, as both ankles and 

 l^oth wrifts, and theie attacks being in fuccefiion to each other. 

 Whereas it is not probable that both feet or both hands fhould 

 ^t the fame tjme be equally expofed to any external caufe of the 

 difeafe, as to cold or moifture •, and lefs fo that thefe fhould oc- 

 cur in fucceflion. Laflly, from the inflammatory diathefis, in 

 this difeafe being more difficult to fubdue, and more dangerous, 

 in event, than other common inflammations,, efpecially to preg- 

 nant women, and in weak conftitutions. 



Fvom this idea of the rheumatifm being not a primary dife 

 eafe 5 like the gout, but a transferred morbid action owing to the 

 previous torpor of fome other part of the fyftem, we perceive 

 why it attacks weak people with greater pertinacity than Itrong 

 ones ; refitting or recurring again and again after frequent evac«* 

 Viations, in a manner very different from primary inflammations ° 9 

 pecaufe the caufe is not removed, which is at adiftance from the 

 feat of the inflammation. 



This alfo accounts for rheumatic inflammations fo very rarely 

 terminating in fuppuration, becaufe like the gout the original 

 caufe is not in the inflamed part, and therefore does not con- 

 tinue to act after the inflammation commences, Inftead of fup- 

 puration in this difeafe, as well as in the gout, a quantity of 

 mucus or coagulable lymph is formed on the inflamed mem- 

 brane ; which in the gout changes into chalk-ftones, and in the 

 rheumatifm is either reabforbed, or lies on the membrane, pro- 

 ducing pains on motion long after the termination of the inflarm- 

 mation, which pains are called chronic rheumatifm. The mem- 

 branes, which have thus been once or repeatedly inflamed, become 

 lefs mobile, or lefs liable to be affected by fympathy, as appears 

 by the gout affecting new parts, when the joints of the foot 

 have been frequently inflamed by it \ hence as the caufe of the 

 inflammation does not exill in the inflamed part, and as this 

 part becomes lefs liable to future attacks, it feldom fupp urates., 



Pkurodyne rheumatic*. When rheumatifm affects the 

 mufcles of the cheft, it produces fymptoms fimilar to pleu- 

 rify, but diflinguifhed from it by the patient having previoufly 

 iuffered rheumatic affections in other parts, and by the perti- 

 nacity or continuance of the inflammatory date of the patient. 

 This fhould be termed pleurodyne rheumatica, 



Enteralgia rheumatica. When rheumatic inflammation af- 

 fects the bowels, it produces a difeafe very different from en- 

 teritis* or common inflammation of the bowels, and fhould be 

 xermed interalgia rheumatica. The pain is ]efs than in enters 

 tis, and the difeafe of longer continuance, with harder pulfe, and 

 the blood equally iizy, It is attended with frequent dejection 



wi'v 



s, 



