Cronian Lectures on the Colon. 157 



naturft loconim genera mediclnae : aliud opus esse Romae, aliud in 

 Mgy pio, aWiidmGaWik. (Celsus.) 



A very attentive consideration, indeed, has been paid of lale, but 

 not more so, speaking generally, than at some former periods, of 

 which any reader may soon satisfy himself by looking over the 

 works of Hoffman, to the stomach and alimentary canal ; yet the 

 undistinguished manner in which diseases of the different portions 

 of this canal have been treated, claims some inquiry ; for the in- 

 discriminate use of remedies in certain morbid conditions of this part 

 of our frame, has not only been fruitlessly resorted to, but has 

 evidently been attended with considerable detriment. It has been 

 imagined that every case of dyspepsia, with a jaundiced appearance 

 of the eye, has called for the necessary 'exhibition of mercurials, 

 from the influence which a supposed morbid condition of the liver 

 has in producing it, although, "from inquiry, it would be discovered 

 that such a state very oflen arises from causes on which mercury 

 exerts a very unfriendly operation. Soon after our closer acquaint- 

 ance with the East (where mercury is always very largely used, and 

 where most diseases are traced [to some morbid condition of the 

 liver) had introduced a more frequent intercourse between that 

 part of the world and Great Britain, the professional gentlemen, 

 returning to their native shores, imported the eastern mode of 

 largely exhibiting mercury. This^ instrument, from the strong 

 representations made in its favour, was eagerly seized by injudi- 

 cious hands, and was indiscriminately, and therefore incautiously 

 wielded. In illustration of the opinion of how far an erroneous 

 notion may be entertained respecting affections of the liver which 

 do not exist, I may here mention a case of some importance in 

 itself as connected with this subject which occurred to me many 

 years ago. It was the case of a lady who was attended by an 

 eastern physician for a supposed disease of the liver; he had known 

 her in India, and she had taken a good deal of mercury at different 

 times. I was called in about a week or ten days before she died. 

 I ventured to say, that, although I could not tell what was the 

 precise nature of the complaint, there was no organic disease of the 

 liver. On opening the body afler death, which was done at my 

 particular request, the liver was discovered quite sound ; death 

 appeared to have been caused by some disease of the spleen, which 

 was extremely soft, and blood was found effused in its substance 

 from ruptured vessels.* The death was rather sudden. 



• The case was attended by the late Dr. Dick and Mr. Andrews of Charing 

 Cross, -•'.'' - - • ^ • 



