466 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



dom in any persons before the age of puberty. When it has 

 once taken place, it is ready to recur occasionally for a long 

 time after ; but it seldom appears in persons considerably ad- 

 vanced in life. It affects both sexes, but more frequently the 

 female. It sometimes attacks pregnant women, and some wo- 

 men only when they are in that condition. Of other women, it 

 more frequently affects the unmarried ; and of the married, most 

 frequently the barren. I have had many instances of its occur- 

 ring in women labouring under a fluor albus. 



MCCCCXXXI. The fits of this disease usually come on 

 in the morning and forenoon, when the stomach is empty. The 

 first symptom of it is a pain at the pit of the stomach, with a 

 sense of constriction, as if the stomach was drawn towards the 

 back ; the pain is increased by raising the body into an erect 

 posture, and therefore the body is bended forward. This pain 

 is often very severe ; and, after continuing for some time, it 

 brings on an eructation of a thin watery fluid in considerable 

 quantity. This fluid has sometimes an acid taste, but is very 

 often absolutely insipid. The eructation is for some time fre- 

 quently repeated ; and does not immediately give relief to the 

 pain which preceded it, but does so at length, and puts an end 

 to the fit. 



MCCCCXXXII. The fits of this disease commonly come 

 on without any evident exciting cause ; and I have not found it 

 steadily connected with any particular diet. It attacks persons 

 using animal food, but I think more frequently those living on 

 milk and farinacea. It seems often to be excited by cold ap- 

 plied to the lower extremities, and is readily excited by any con- 

 siderable emotion of mind. It is often without any symptoms 

 of dyspepsia. 



MCCCCXXXIII. The nature of this affection is not very ob- 

 vious ; but I think it may be explained in this manner: It seems to 

 begin by a spasm of the muscular fibres of the stomach ; which 

 is afterwards, in a certain manner, communicated to the blood- 

 vessels and exhalents, so as to increase the impetus of the fluids 

 in these vessels, while a constriction takes place on their extre- 

 mities. While, therefore, the increased impetus determines a 

 greater quantity than usual of fluids into these vessels, the con- 



