392 PRACTICE OF I'll Y SIC. 



their effects. The sanguine temperament retains longer the 

 character of youth, while the melancholic temperament brings 

 on more early the manners of old age. 



MCCXXX. Upon the whole, it appears, that the state of 

 the mind which attends and especially distinguishes hypochon- 

 driasis, is the effect of that same rigidity of the solids, torpor of 

 the nervous power, and peculiar balance between the arterial 

 and venous systems which occur in advanced life, and which at 

 all times take place more or less in melancholic temperaments. 

 If, therefore, there be also somewhat of a like state of mind at- 

 tending the dyspepsia which occurs early in life in sanguine tem- 

 peraments and lax habits, it must depend upon a different state 

 of the body, and probably upon a weak and moveable state of 

 the nervous power. 



MCCXXXI. Agreeable to all this, in dyspepsia there is more 

 of spasmodic affection, and theaffection of themind (MCCXXII.) 

 is often absent, and, when present, is perhaps always of a slighter 

 kind ; while in hypochondriasis the affection of the mind is 

 more constant, and the symptoms of dyspepsia, or the affections 

 of the stomach, are often absent, or, when present, are in a 

 slighter degree. 



I believe the affection of the mind is commonly different in 

 the two diseases. In dyspepsia, it is often languor and timidity 

 only, easily dispelled; while in hypochondriasis, it is generally 

 the gloomy and rivetted apprehension of evil. 



The two diseases are also distinguished by some other cir- 

 cumstances. Dyspepsia, as I have said, is often a symptomatic 

 affection ; while hypochondriasis is, perhaps, always a primary 

 and idiopathic disease. 



As debility may be induced by many different causes, dys- 

 pepsia is a frequent disease ; while hypochondriasis, depending 

 upon a peculiar temperament, is more rare. 



MCCXXXII. Having thus endeavoured to distinguish the 

 two diseases, I suppose the peculiar nature and proximate cause 

 of hypochondriasis will be understood ; and I proceed, there- 

 fore, to treat of its cure. 



So far as the affections of the body, and particularly of the 

 stomach, are the same here as in the case of dyspepsia, the 



