Art, It. 2. i. 10. INCITANTIA, 



fpirit is daily feen and lamented by phyficians j not only early 

 debility, like premature age, but a dreadful catalogue of difeafes 

 is induced by this kind of intemperance ; as dropfy, gout, lep-> 

 rofy, epilepfy, infanity, as defcribed in Botanic Garden, Part II. 

 Canto III. line 357. The ftronger or lefs diluted the fpirit is 

 taken, the fooner it feems to deftroy, as in dram-drinkers ; but 

 ftill fooner, when kernels of apricots, or bitter almonds, or lau- 

 rel-leaf, are infufed in the fpirit, which is termed ratafia j a3 

 then two poifons are fwallowed at the fame time. And vine- 

 gar, as it contains much vinous fpirit, is probably a noxious part 

 of our diet. And the di (tilled vinegar, which is commonly fold 

 in the (hops, is truly poifonous, as it is generally dittilled by 

 means of a pewter or leaden alembic-head or worm-tube, and 

 abounds with lead j which any one may detect by mixing with 

 it a folution of liver of fulphur. Opium, when taken as a lux- 

 ury, not as a medicine, is as pernicious as alcohol ; as Baron 

 de Tott relates in his account of the opium-eaters in Turkey. 



,io. It muft be obferved, that a frequent repetition of the ufe 

 of this clafs of medicines fo habituates the body to their ftimu- 

 lus, that their dofe may gradually be increafed to an aftoniming 

 quantity, fuch as otherwife woura inftantly deftroy life ; as is 

 frequently feen in thofe, who accuftom themfelves to the daily 

 ufe of alcohol and opium ; and it would feem, that thefe unfor* 

 tunate people become difeafed as fcon as they omit their ufual. 

 potations ; and that the confequent gout, dropfy, palfy, or pirn* 

 pled face, occur from the debility occafioned from the want of 

 accuftomed ftimuius, or to fome change in the contractile fi- 

 bres, which requires the continuance or increafe of it. Whence 

 the cautions neceflary to be obferved are mentioned in Sect* 

 XII. 7. 8. . 



11. It is probable, that fome of the articles in the fubfequent 

 catalogue do not induce intoxication, though they have been 

 efteemed to do fo ; as tobacco, hemlock, nux vomica, flavifa- 

 gria ; and on this account mould rather belong to other arrange* 

 ments, as to the fecernentia, or forbentia, or invertentia. 



II. 1. Externally the application of heat, as the warm bath, 

 by its ftimulus on the fkin excites the excretory ducts of the 

 perfpirative glands, and the mouths of the lymphatics, which open 

 on its furface, into greater action ; and in confequen.ee many 

 other irritative motions, which are afibciated with them. To 

 this increafed action is added pleafurable fenfatlon, which adds 

 further activity to the fyflem ; and thus many kinds of pain re- 

 ceive relief from this additional atmofphere of heat. 



The ufe of a warm bath of about 96 or 98 degrees of heat, 

 for half an hour once a day for three or four months, I have 



Vol. I. P p p known 



