122 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



cause of the gout, has been hitherto useless, as it has not sug- 

 gested any successful method of cure. Particular suppositions 

 have often corrupted the practice, and have frequently led from 

 those views which might be useful, and from that practice which 

 experience had approved. Further, though the supposition of 

 a morbific matter has been generally received, it has been as gen- 

 erally neglected in practice. When the gout has affected the 

 stomach, nobody thinks of correcting the matter supposed to be 

 present there, but merely of restoring the tone of the moving 

 fibres. 



Eighthly r , The supposition of a morbific matter is quite su- 

 perfluous ; for it explains nothing without supposing that mat- 

 ter to produce a change in the state of the moving powers ; and 

 a change in the state of the moving powers, produced by other 

 causes, explains every circumstance, without the supposition of 

 a morbific matter ; and, to this purpose, it may be observed, 

 that many of the causes (DIV.) exciting the gout, do not ope- 

 rate upon the state of the ifluids, but directly and solely upon 

 that of the moving powers. 



Lastly, The supposition of a morbific matter is also super- 

 fluous ; because, without any such supposition, I think the dis- 

 ease can be explained in a manner more consistent with its phe- 

 nomena, with the laws of the animal economy, and with the 

 method of cure which experience has approved. 



I now proceed to give this explanation ; but before entering 

 upon it, I must premise some general observations. 



DXXX. The first observation is, that the gout is a disease 

 of the whole system, or depends upon a certain general con- 

 formation and state of the body ; which manifestly appears 

 from the facts mentioned from CCCCXCI V. to CCCCXCVII. 

 But the general state of the system depends chiefly upon the 

 state of its primary moving powers ; and therefore the gout may 

 be supposed to be chiefly an affection of these. 



DXXXI. My second observation is, that the gout is mani- 

 festly an affection of the nervous system ; in which the primary 

 moving powers of the whole system are lodged. The occa- 

 sional or exciting causes (DIV.) are almost all such as act di- 

 rectly upon the nerves and nervous system ; and the greater 

 part of the symptoms of the atonic or retrocedent gout are 



