130 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



of the plethoric state, which long sleep both favours and pro- 

 motes." 



DLII. With respect to an abstemious course, it has been 

 supposed, that an abstinence from animal food and fermented 

 liquors, or the living upon milk and farinacea alone for the 

 space of one year, might be sufficient for a radical cure of the 

 gout : and it is possible that, at a certain period of life, in 

 certain circumstances of the constitution, such a measure might 

 answer the purpose. But this is very doubtful ; and it is more 

 probable that the abstinence must, in a great measure, be con- 

 tinued, and the milk-diet be persisted in, for the rest of life. 

 It is well known, that several persons who had entered on an 

 abstemious course, and had been thereby delivered from the 

 gout, have, however, upon returning to their former manner of 

 full living, had the disease return upon them with as much vio- 

 lence as before, or in a more irregular and more dangerous form. 



DLII I. It has been alleged, that, for preventing the return 

 of the gout, blood-letting, or scarifications of the feet, frequent- 

 ly repeated, and at stated times, may be practised with advantage ; 

 but of this I have had no experience. 



DLIV. Exercise and abstinence are the means of avoiding 

 the plethoric state which gives the disposition to the gout ; and 

 are therefore the means proposed for preventing paroxysms, or 

 at least for rendering them less frequent and more moderate. 

 But many circumstances prevent the steadiness necessary in 

 pursuing these measures : and therefore, in such cases, unless 

 great care be taken to avoid the exciting causes, the disease may 

 frequently return ; and, in many cases, the preventing of par- 

 oxysms is chiefly to be obtained by avoiding those exciting 

 causes enumerated in DIV. The conduct necessary for avoid- 

 ing them, will be sufficiently obvious to persons acquainted with 

 the doctrines of the Hygieine, which I suppose to have been 

 delivered in another place. 



" I have mentioned, as exciting causes of gout, cold, intem- 

 perance in drink, and excess in venery ; in the fourth place I 

 would mention study , any close or intense application of the 

 mind, whether to business or study more strictly so called. We 

 have a remarkable instance of this in Dr. Sydenham, who tells us 



