INFLAMMATIONS. 31 



CCXC. Both in the Ophthalmia membranarum, and in the 

 Ophthalmia tarsi, it is necessary to obviate that, gluing or stick- 

 ing together of the eye-lids which commonly happens in sleep ; 

 and this may be done by insinuating a little of any mild unctuous 

 medicine, of some tenacity, between the eye-lids before the pa- 

 tient shall go to sleep. 



CHAP. IV. OF PHRENSY, OR PHRENITIS. 



CCXCI. This disease is an inflammation of the parts con- 

 tained in the cavity of the cranium ; and may affect either the 

 membranes of the brain, or the substance of the brain itself. 

 Nosologists have apprehended that these two cases might be 

 distinguished by different symptoms, and therefore by different 

 appellations : but this does not seem to be confirmed by obser- 

 vation and dissection ; and therefore I shall treat of both cases 

 under the title of Phrensy or Phrenitis. 



" Sauvages and Linnaeus have believed that there was that 

 difference, and have accordingly made two genera, Cephalitis 

 and Sphacelismus. The difficulty arises from hence, that the 

 symptoms are in some measure directly opposite In both cases 

 there is more or less delirium ; but in the inflammation of the 

 substance of the brain, instead of the delirium audax, it is the 

 delirium somnolentum, and instead of the ' vis artuum major, 1 

 it is c cum asthenia. 1 The difficulty goes still farther : there is 

 a phrenitis altogether without fever ; the brain has been found 

 inflamed to a considerable degree so as to form abscesses, while 

 the symptoms appeared only a little before death : therefore the 

 symptoms of such affections of the brain are not yet sufficient- 

 ly and precisely enough marked, and we must leave this to fur 

 ther inquiry. 1 ' 



CCXC 1 1. An idiopathic phrensy is a rare occurrence, a 

 sympathic more frequent ; and the ascertaining either the one 

 or the other is, upon many occasions, difficult. Many of the 

 symptoms by which the disease is most commonly judged to be 

 present have appeared, when, from certain considerations, it 

 was presumed, and even from dissection it appeared, that there 

 had been no internal inflammation ; and, on the other hand, 

 dissections have shown, that the brain had been inflamed, 



