i 9 6 OF DRUNKENNESS. Sect. XXI. to. 



io. The difeafes in confequence of frequent inebriety, or of 

 daily taking much vinous fpirit without inebriety, confift in the 

 paralyfis, which is liable to fucceed violent llimulation. Or- 

 gans, whofe actions are aflbciated with others, are frequently 

 more affected tkan the organ, which is ftimulated into too vio-;' 

 lent action. See Seel:. XXIV. -2. 8. Hence in drunken people 

 it generally happens, that the fecretory veiTels of the liver be- 

 come firft paralytic, and a torpor with confequent gall-ftones 

 or fcirrhus of this vifcus is induced with concomitant jaundice ;. 

 otherwife it becomes inflamed in confequence of previous tor- 

 por, and this inflammation is frequently transferred to a more 

 fenfible part, which is aflbciated with it, and produces the gout, 

 or tne rofy eruption of the face, or fome other leprous eruption 

 on the head, or arms, or legs. Sometimes the ftomach is firft 

 affected, and paralyfis of the lafteal fyftem is induced : whence 

 a total abhorrence from flefh-food, and general emaciation. In 

 others the lymphatic fyftem is afTe^ed with paralyfis, and drop- 

 fy is the confequence. In fome inebriates the torpor of the liv- 

 er produces pain without apparent fcirrhus, or gall-ftones, or in- 

 flammation, or confequent gofat, and in thefe epilepfy or infin- 

 ity are often the confequence. All which will be more fuiiy 

 treated of in the courfe of the work. 



I am well aware, that it is a common opinion, that the gout 

 is as frequently owing to gluttony in eating, as to intemperance 

 in drinking fermented or fpiritous liquors. To this I anfwer, 

 that I have feen no perfon afflicted with the gout, who has not 

 drunk freely of fermented liquor, as wine and water, or finall 

 beer *, though as the difpofition to all the difeafes, which have orig- 

 inated from intoxication, is in fome degree hereditary, a lefs quan- 

 tity of fpirituous potation will induce the gout in thefe, who in- 

 herit the difpofition from their parents. To which I muft add, 

 that in young people the rheumatifm is frequently miltaken for 

 the gout. 



Spice is feldom taken in fuch quantity as to do any material 

 injury to the fyftem, flefh-meats as well as vegetables are the 

 natural diet of mankind ; with thefe a glutton may be crammed 

 up to the throat, and fed fat like a flailed ox ; but he will not 

 be difeafed, unlefs he adds fpirituous or fermented liquor to his 

 food. This is well known in the diftillerics, where the fwine, 

 which are fattened by the fpirituous fediments of barrels, acquire 

 diieafed livers. But mark what happens to a man, who drinks 

 a quart of wine or of ale, if he has not been habituated to it. 

 He lofes the ufeof both his limbs and of his imderftanding ! He 

 becomes a temponry idiot, and has a temporary ftroke of the 

 palfv ! And though he Qowly recovers after fome hours, is it 



not 



