HJEMORRHAGIES. 261 



meantime, all that at present seems to be within the reach of 

 our art, is to take the measures proper for avoiding the inflam- 

 mation of tubercles. It is probable that tubercles may subsist 

 long without producing any disorder ; and I am disposed to 

 think, that nature sometimes resolves and discusses tubercles 

 which have been formed ; but that nature does this only when 

 the tubercles remain in an uninflamed state 4 and, therefore, that 

 the measures necessary to be taken, are chiefly those for avoid- 

 ing the inflammation of the tubercles. 



DCCCCIX. The inflammation of a tubercle of the lungs is 

 to be avoided upon the general plan of avoiding inflammation, 

 by blood-letting, and by an antiphlogistic regimen ; the chief 

 part of which, in this case, is the use of a low diet. This sup- 

 poses a total abstinence from animal food, and the using of veg- 

 etable food almost alone : but it has been found, that it is not 

 necessary for the patient to be confined to vegetables of the 

 weakest nourishment, it being sufficient, that the farinacea be 

 employed, and together with these, milk. 



" Dover, about fifty years ago, published a book in which he 

 advanced very confidently a number of strange facts, and amongst 

 the rest, that tubercles of the lungs were cured by repeated 

 blood-lettings. I have seen these small bleedings often tried and 

 repeated from the fortieth to the sixtieth time ; but the disease 

 was never cured by them ; it went on and proved fatal ; and 

 certainly the fate of the patient was sometimes hurried on. Bleed- 

 ings in the beginning of the disease, however, in a plethoric 

 habit, and sanguine temperament, and when an inflammatory 

 crust has appeared, are certainly useful."" 



DCCCCX. Milk has been generally considered as the chief 

 remedy in phthisis, and in the case of every tendency to it ; but 

 whether from its peculiar qualities, or from its being of a lower 

 quality with respect to nourishment, than any food entirely ani- 

 mal, is not certainly determined. The choice and administra- 

 tion of milk will be properly directed, by considering the nature 

 of the milk of the several animals from which it may be taken, 

 and the particular state of the patient with respect to the period 

 and circumstances of the disease, and to the habits of his stom- 

 ach with respect to milk. 



DCCCCXT. A second means of preventing the inflamma- 



