72 on hard drinking. July 18. 



welfare of the. country, and the happincfs of the people at 

 heart, ought surely to exert themselves to try, if pofsible, 

 to mitigate an evil productive of such miserable conic- 

 qucnces. 



After a few introductory observations, the benevolent, 

 author divides the cases of this clafs under the foUowing^ 

 heads : 



" 'li\\tjirst, says he, are those whci early in life-have ha-, 

 bituated themselves to drink freely of wine of various 

 kinds, and, from their situations in life, undergone a change,, 

 of climate, as from Europe to the Indies, &c. Puncli 

 drinkers, likewise, have been liable to similar complaints. 

 The first appearance of disease is lofs of appetite, whick 

 at length is so weakened and vitiated, that, after taking, 

 food, before the return of the next meal a kind of heavy 

 pain of the stomach, without a constriction of the muscles 

 of the abdomen, comes on, and with a slight eft'ort,' a sweet-, 

 ifh, bracLifh, or acid fluid, is thrown, up, and the pain and 

 toustriclion for a (hort time subside. For several years 

 in this unhappy state, the patient drags on a life, rendered 

 now and then more supportable, either by renewed pota- 

 tions, or.exputations, till at length the bodily and mental 

 powers become impaired j the object grows emaciated^ 

 the whole body fhrinks j neither swelling nor dropsy ap- 

 jiear, though the countenance looks sallow ; the region o£ 

 the liver is not enlarged, and the liver itself seems lefs'- 

 than natural ; the urine is not very high coloured ; the 

 faces are hard and dark coloured ■, the stomach will take 

 and retain food, but, after receiving it, it is opprefscd, and 

 feels tightened or contracted in its dimensions 5 the pati- 

 ent exprefses it, as if it were tied by a. strait bandage \ 

 the same sensation affects the intestines, and the abdomen 

 suifeis such irregular constrictions, as become evlne'it to 

 the external touah, the jnuscles being drawn into irregular 



