Sect. XXXI. i. OF TEMPERAMENTS. 277 



SEC T. XXXI. 



OF TEMPERAMENTS. 



I. The temperament of decreased irritability known by weak puff, 

 large pupils of the eyes, cold extremities. Are generally fuppofed 

 to be too irritable. Bear pain better than labour. Natives >f 

 North-America contra/led with thofe upon the coajl of Africa. 

 Narrow and broad fhouldered people. Irritable conjtitutkm bear 

 labour better than pain. II. Te?nperament of increafed fenjibility. 

 Liable to intoxication, to inflammation, hamoptoe, gutta ferena, en- 

 thufiafm, delirium, reverie. Thefe con/litutions are indolent to 

 voluntary exertions, and dull to irritations. The natives cf South- 

 America, and brute animals of this temperament. III. Of in- 

 creafed voluntarity ; thefe are fubjetl to locked jaw, coinnrf::r.s, 

 epi'epfy, mania. Are very aclive, bear cold, hunger, fatigue. 

 Are fuited to great exertions. This temperament diftinguijfhts 

 mankind from other animals. IV. Of increafed affectation. 

 Thefe have great memories, are liable to quartan agues, ana 

 flronger fympathies of parts ivith each other. V. Change 

 temperaments into one another. 



Ancient writers have fpoken much of temperaments, hat 

 without fufficient precifion. By temperament of the fyftcm 

 mould be meant a permanent predifpoiition to certain claiies of 

 difeafes : without this definition a temporary predifpofition to 

 every diftincr, malady might be termed a temperament. There 

 are four kinds of conftitution, which permanently deviate from 

 good health, and are perhaps fufficiently marked to be diflin- 

 guilhed from each other, and constitute the temperaments or 

 predifpofitions to the irritative, fenfitive, voluntary, and aiToci- 

 ate claffes of difeafes. 



I. The Temperament of decreafed Irritability. 



The difeafes, which are caufed by irritation, moft frequently 

 originate from the defeel: of it ; for thofe, which are immedi- 

 ately owing to the excefs of it, as the hot fits of fever, aregen?.!-- 

 ally occafioned by an accumulation of fenforial power in confe- 

 quence of a previous defect of irritation, as in the preceding 

 cold fits of fever. Whereas the difeafes, which are caufed bj- 

 fenfation and volition, moft frequently originate from the excels 

 of thofe fenforial powers, as will be explained below. 



The temperament of decreafed irritability appears from th^ 



following 



