INFLAMMATIONS. 131 



that when he was writing upon the gout, he was interrupted by 

 his application producing a fit of the disease. Such application 

 to study is not very frequent in this indolent age ; but how it is 

 to be managed in the case of men in business, and in persons 

 necessarily devoted to study, will be sufficiently obvious ; and it 

 is unnecessary to say much upon this subject. I chiefly intro- 

 duced the whole head, in order to say, that though in certain 

 cases it may be difficult to avoid study, there is one kind for 

 which there can be no plea of necessity, viz. Gaming ; for it is 

 evident, that many games require intense study. People are 

 apt to deceive themselves in imagining that the games of 

 chance are not to be considered in this light ; but I say that 

 gaming is constantly attended with a close attention of the mind, 

 and anxiety liable to occasion frequent vicissitudes of passion, 

 and generally accompanied by much watching : it is therefore a 

 study of the most pernicious kind. It leads me to take notice 

 of the fifth occasional cause of gout the passions of the mind : 

 How they are to be avoided I must leave to the philosophers, 

 or, if you will, to the divines." 



DLV. A due attention in avoiding those several causes (Dili. 

 DIV.), will certainly prevent fits of the gout ; and the taking 

 care that the exciting causes be never applied in a great degree, 

 will certainly render fits more moderate when they do come on. 

 But, upon the whole, it will appear, that a strict attention to the 

 whole conduct of life, is in this matter necessary ; and, there- 

 fore, when the predisposition has taken place, it will be extremely 

 difficult to avoid the disease. 



DLVI. I am indeed firmly persuaded, that, by obviating the 

 predisposition, and by avoiding the exciting causes, the gout 

 may be entirely prevented : but as the measures necessary for 

 this purpose will, in most cases, be pursued with difficulty, and 

 even with reluctance, men have been very desirous to find a 

 medicine which might answer the purpose without any restraint 

 on their manner of living. To gratify this desire, physicians 

 have proposed, and, to take advantage of it, empirics have 

 feigned, many remedies, as we have already observed. Of what 

 nature several of these remedies have been, I cannot certainly 

 say ; but, of those which are unknown, we conclude, from their 



ivlng been only of temporary fame, and from their having 



i 2 



