Sect. XXX. i. 6. OF THE LIVER. 275 



the body, or receptacle of each gland, becomes inflated, and this 

 .diftention increafes, till by its very great ftimulus inflammation is 

 produced, or till thofe parts of the vifcus become totally paralyt- 

 ic. This difeafe is diftinguifhable from the foregoing by the 

 palpable hardnefs or largenefs of the liver ; and as the hepatic 

 glands are not totally paralytic, or the whole liver not affected, 

 fome bile continues to be made. The inflammations of this 

 vifcus, confequent to the fcirrhofity of it, belong to the difeafes 

 of the fenfitive motions, and will be treated of hereafter. 



6. The ancients are faid to have pofTerTed an art of increasing 

 the livers of geefe to a fize greater than the remainder of the 

 goofe. Martial. 1. 13. epig. 58. — This is laid to have been done 

 by fat and figs. Horace. 1. 2. fat. 8. — Juvenal lets thefe large 

 livers before an epicure as a great rarity. Sat. 5. 1. 114; and 

 Perfius, fat. 6. 1. 71. Pliny fays thefe large goofe-livers were 

 foaked in mulled milk, that is, I fuppofe, milk mixed with honey 

 and wine ; and adds, "that it is uncertain whether Scipio 

 Metellus, of confular dignity, or M. SefHus, a Roman knight, 

 was the great difcoverer of this excellent dim." A modern 

 traveller, I believe Mr. Brydone, aflerts that the art of enlarging 

 the livers of geefe ftili exifts in Sicily ; and it is, to be lamented 

 that he did not import it into his native country, as fome meth- 

 od of affecting the human liver might perhaps have been col- 

 lected from it ; befides the honor he might have acquired in 

 improving our giblet pies. 



Our wifer caupones, I am told, know how to fatten their 

 fowls, as well as their geefe, for the London markets, by mix- 

 ing gin inftead of figs and fat with their food ; by which they 

 are faid to become fleepy, and to fatten apace, aud probably ac- 

 quire enlarged livers ; as the fwine are aiTerted to do, which are 

 fed on the fediments of barrels in the diftilleries ; and which fo 

 frequently obtains in thofe, who ingurgitate much ale, or wine, 

 or drams. 



II. The irritative difeafes of the kidneys, pancreas, fpleen, 

 and other glands, are analogous to thofe of the liver above de- 

 scribed, differing only in the confequences attending their ina- 

 bility to action. For inflance, when the fecretory veffels of the 

 kidneys become difobedient to the ftimulus of the palling cur- 

 rent of blood, no urine is feparated or produced by them ; their 

 excretory mouths become filled with concreted mucus, or cal- 

 culous matter, and in eight or ten days ftupor and death fuper- 

 vene in confequence of the retention of the feculent part of the 

 blood. 



This difeafe in a {lighter degree, or when only a part of the 

 kidney is affected, is fucceeded by partial inflammation of the 



kidney 



