498 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



from every other disease, I shall now attempt its peculiar pa- 

 thology. With respect to this, I think it will, in the first place, 

 be obvious, that its paroxysms begin by a convulsive and 

 spasmodic affection of the alimentary canal, which is afterwards 

 communicated to the brain, and to a great part of the nerv- 

 ous system. Although the disease appears to begin in the ali- 

 mentary canal, yet the connexion which the paroxysms so 

 often have with the menstrual flux, and with the diseases 

 that depend on the state of the genitals, shows, that the 

 physicians have at all times judged rightly in considering 

 this disease as an affection of the uterus and other parts of 

 the genital system. 



MDXXI. With regard tojbhis, however, I can go no far- 

 ther. In what manner the uterus, and in particular the ova- 

 ria, are affected in this disease ; how the affection of these is 

 communicated, with particular circumstances, to the alimen- 

 tary canal ; or how the affection of this, rising upwards, affects 

 the brain, so as to occasion the particular convulsions which 

 occur in this disease, I cannot pretend to explain. 



But although I cannot trace this disease to its first causes, or 

 explain the whole of the phenomena, I hope, that with respect 

 to the general nature of the disease, I may form some general 

 conclusions, which may serve to direct our conduct in the cure 

 of it. 



MDXXI I. Thus, from a consideration of the predisponent 

 and occasional causes, it will, I think, appear, that the chief 

 part of the proximate cause is a mobility of the system, depend- 

 ing generally upon its plethoric state. 



MDXXIII. Whether this disease ever arises from a mobi- 

 lity of the system, independent of any plethoric state of it, I 

 cannot positively determine ; but in many cases that have sub- 

 sisted for some time, it is evident that a sensibility and conse- 

 quently a mobility, are acquired, which often appear when 

 neither a general plethora can be supposed to subsist, nor an 

 occasional turgescence to have happened. However, as we 

 have shown above, that a distention of the vessels of the brain, 

 seems to occasion epilepsy, and that a turgescence of the blood 

 in the vessels of the lungs seems to produce asthma ; so ana- 

 logy leads me to suppose, that a turgescence of blood in the 



