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An abfurd cuftom prevails among the common 

 people, of letting blood about the fpring and fall of 

 the year, whether they have any complaint that re- 

 quires fijeh evacuation or no; this practice, how- 

 , fo far from tending to prevent diforders, con- 

 tributes greatly to produce them. It caufes an 

 habitual plethora, impoverifhes the blood and juices, 

 and when done at the latter end of the year, is apt 

 to difpofe the body to intermittent fevers, and, if 

 often repeated, to dropfical complaints. Many other 

 bad effects of this abfurd practice might be enume- 

 rated, but they are, I think, unneceffary to mention. 



Purging is a mode of evacuation, whofe confe- 

 quences in inflammatory complaints are often im- 

 portant, though lefs fo than bleeding, and I think lefs 

 hazardous, if mifapplied. Almoft every inflamma- 

 tory complaint requires fome operation of this kind; 

 it is however in general proper to be preceded by 

 bleeding, which is thought to make it more fafe and 

 effectual: but this rule admits of many exceptions, 

 and is not neceflfary to be adhered to, except the ten-* 

 dency to inflammation prevail pretty flrongly. 



It was formerly thought, that purgative medi- 

 cines differ confiderably in the nature of the dif- 

 charge they produced; fome being calculated to 

 ^ifcharge water, others bile, others phlegm, &c, 

 C C J but 



