494 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



to suspend my opinion till I shall have more observations and 

 experiments upon which I can form it more clearly. 



CHAP. XIII.-- OF THE HYSTERIA, OR THE HYSTERIC 



DISEASE. 



MDXIV. The many and various symptoms which have been 

 supposed to belong to a disease under this appellation, render it 

 extremely difficult to give a general character or definition of it. 

 It is, however, proper in all cases to attempt some general idea ; 

 and therefore, by taking the most common form, and that con- 

 currence of symptoms by which it is principally distinguished, 

 I have formed a character in my system of Methodical Nosolo- 

 gy, and shall here endeavour to illustrate it by giving a more 

 full history of the phenomena. 



MDXV. The disease attacks in paroxysms or fits. These 

 commonly begin by some pain and fulness felt in the left side 

 of the belly. From this a ball seems to move with a grumbling 

 noise into the other parts of the belly ; and, making, as it were, 

 various convolutions there, seems to move into the stomach ; 

 and more distinctly still rises up to the top of the gullet, where 

 it remains for some time, and by its pressure upon the larynx 

 gives a sense of suffocation. By the time that the disease has 

 proceeded thus far, the patient is affected with a stupor and in- 

 sensibility, while at the same time the body is agitated with 

 various convulsions. The trunk of the body is writhed to 

 and fro, and the limbs are variously agitated ; commonly the 

 convulsive motion of one arm and hand, is that of beating, with 

 the closed fist, upon the breast very violently and repeatedly. 

 This state continues for some time, and has during that time 

 some remissions and renewals of the convulsive motions ; but 

 they at length cease, leaving the patient in a stupid and seem- 

 ingly sleeping state. More or less suddenly, and frequently 

 with repeated sighing and sobbing, together with a murmuring 

 noise in the belly, the patient returns to the exercise of sense 

 and motion, but generally without any recollection of the several 

 circumstances that had taken place during the fit. 



MDXVI. This is the form of what is called an hysteric 



