On Gravelly and Calculous Concretions. 123 



pbservation, of this kind, of any in Europe, that of Lune-. 

 ville, perhaps, excepted. 



The benefit of this charity extends equally to the blin4 

 and gouty. In the year 1795 I found it to contain thirty- 

 two of the latter; and since that period thirty-four have 

 been admitted : in all, sixty-six gouty patients. Of these, 

 the greater number have either complained of gravel, or 

 passed it without any previous or concomitant inconve- 

 nience : a circumstance which I had every day occasion to 

 observe, whilst attending to the state of gouty urine. Among 

 the blind and gouty, however, we may count about twenty- 

 two as specifically more afflicted, having occasionally com- 

 plained of marked and distinct symptoms of this disorder. 

 Of these, we find sixteen among the gouty, and six only 

 among the blind. Now, as the severity of gout is uni- 

 formly diminished, nay, in many instances, the disease en- 

 tirely removed, by a residence of a few years only in the 

 house, we must expect to find the same take place with re- 

 spect to gravel, to which it is so strongly and nearly con- 

 nected. And this singular alleviation of both diseases we 

 can only attribute to the influence of temperance, and the 

 manner of living, very opposite to that of their former ha- 

 bits. The diet in our house consists of bread and milk for 

 breakfast and supper; beef, or mutton, with table beer, for 

 dinner; all of the best quality, and administered with the 

 greatest propriety and regularity ; whilst the introduction of 

 ardent spirits is prohibited, and sobriety enforced, by the 

 strict discipline of the house. On the other hand, we find 

 that, previous to their admission, they were either addicted 

 to intemperance, or in the habit, at least, of muddling in 

 public-houses, where, after a libation with porter, they in- 

 dulged in the free use of acidulated punch (the constant 

 nocturnal practice of our middling tradesmen and shop- 

 keepers, who furnish the greatest proportion of our pa- 

 tients). The keeper of a porter-house of considerable re- 

 sort informs me, that, to please the generality of his cus- 

 tomers, he finds it necessary to add the juice of an entire 

 lemon to about two quarts of punch ; and that, from this 

 circumstance, he would have experienced a considerable di- 

 1 niinution 



