380 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



brisker action of the stomach must accelerate the action of the 

 intestines, so the slower action of the intestines must in some 

 measure retard that of the stomach. It is therefore of conse- 

 quence to the proper action of the stomach, that the peristaltic 

 motion of the intestines determining their contents downwards, 

 foe regularly continued ; and that all costiveness, or interrup- 

 tion of that determination be avoided. This may be done by 

 the various means of exciting the action of the intestines. But 

 it is to be observed here, that, as every considerable evacuation of 

 the intestines weakens their action, and is ready, therefore, to 

 induce costiveness when the evacuation is over ; so those pur- 

 gatives which produce a large evacuation are unfit for correct- 

 ing the habit of costiveness. This, therefore, should be at- 

 tempted by medicines which do no more than solicit the intes- 

 tines to a more ready discharge of their present contents, with- 

 out either hurrying their action, or increasing the excretions 

 made into their cavity ; either of which effects might produce a 

 purging. There are, I think, certain medicines peculiarly pro- 

 per on this occasion, as they seem to stimulate especially the 

 great guts, and to act little on the higher parts of the intestinal 

 canal. 



MCCXI. We have thus mentioned the several means of 

 ^executing our second indication ; and I proceed to the third*, 

 which is, as we have said, the proper curative ; and it is to 

 restore the tone of the stomach, the loss of which we consider 

 as the proximate cause of the disease, or at least as the chief 

 part of it. The means of satisfying this indication we refer to 

 two heads. One is, of those means which operate directly and 

 chiefly on the stomach itself; and the other is, of those means 

 which, operating upon the whole system, have their tonic effects 

 thereby communicated to the stomach. 



MCCXII. The medicines which operate directly on the 

 -stomach, are either stimulants or tonics. 



The stimulants are saline or aromatic. 



The saline are acids or neutrals. 



Acids of all kinds seem to have the power of stimulating the 

 stomach, and therefore often increase appetite : but the native 

 acids, as liable to fermentation, may otherwise do harm, and 

 are therefore of ambiguous use. The acids, therefore, chiefly 



