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eel to me to be of any service, and in some cases to have proved 

 hurtful. 



DCCCCXIX. Mercury, so often useful in healing ulcers, 

 has been speciously enough proposed in this disease ; but 

 whether that it be not adapted to the particular nature of the 

 ulcers of the lungs occurring in phthisis, or that it proved 

 hurtful, because it cannot have effect without exciting such an 

 inflammatory state of the whole system, as, in a hectic state, 

 must prove very hurtful, I cannot determine. Upon many 

 trials which I have seen made, it has proved of no service, and 

 commonly has appeared to be manifestly pernicious. 



DCCCCXX. The Peruvian bark has been recommended 

 for several purposes in phthisical cases ; and it is said upon 

 some occasions to have been useful ; but I have seldom found it 

 to be so ; and as by its tonic power it increases the phlogistic 

 diathesis of the system, I have frequently found it hurtful. 

 In some cases, where the morning remissions of the fever were 

 considerable, and the noon exacerbations well marked, I have 

 observed the Peruvian bark given in large quantities, with the 

 effect of stopping these exacerbations, and at the same time of 

 relieving the whole of the phthisical symptoms : but in the 

 cases in which I observed this, the fever showed a constant 

 tendency to recur ; and at length the phthisical symptoms also 

 returned, and proved quickly fatal. 



" As the phthisis pulmonalis depends so often upon tubercles 

 of a peculiar nature, which with no probability can be resolved 

 by the bark, so this is another reason for my avoiding the use of 

 it in this disease. But whether there be cases resembling very 

 exactly the phthisis from tubercles, in which, however, there are 

 none present, and therefore a more curable disease, and perhaps 

 admitting the use of the bark, I cannot positively determine ; 

 but I am disposed to believe, that there are cases with all the 

 symptoms of phthisis pulmonalis, without tubercles, and depend- 

 ing on a successful formation and healing again of small vomicae, 

 in which case the bark may possibly be useful. In all the cases 

 of convalescence which happen after purulent expectoration, I 

 judge the disease to have been of this kind. M.M. 



DCCCCXXI. Acids of all kinds, as antiseptic and refrige- 

 rant, are useful in cases of phthisis ; but the native acid of veg- 



