34 DISEASE. 



of remedy is regulated by the fierceness^ mildness, locality, 

 and duration of the malady. This doctrine had many advo- 

 cates on the Continent; but it has very few or none in England. 



The Theory of Razori. — Adopting the principles of 

 Brown, Razori, an Italian physician, sought to discover 

 some agent that would, as a specific, counteract all excess of 

 excitement, and establish an equilibrium : these agents he 

 called counter-stimulants. At length, however, he found 

 that the body withstood a larger dose of the new medicine 

 than the most excessive predisposition called for. He also 

 found that debilitating disease might be generated by the 

 continued employment of counter-stimulants. Razori^s 

 theory, with afl its errors, has, however, led to some useful 

 innovations in practice — such as commencing treatment 

 with emetics, which cuts short many diseases. 



The Theory of Pinel. — Professor Pinel, appropriating 

 all done before his time, made a droll melange of humorism, 

 Brownism, vitalism, and solidism; vitalism, however, pre- 

 dominated. It is nature which is debilitated, excited, per- 

 verted, &c. 



The Theory of Broussais is a physiological doctrine. 

 Profiting by the labours of Hunter, Bordan, Barth, Pinel, 

 and Bichat, Broussais brought forth a doctrine, which was 

 opposed by the Pinelists and by the partisans of anatomico- 

 pathological study. It is this : 1st. Diseases chiefly result 

 from alteration in the solids, although some originate in the 

 liquids. 2d. All spring from irritation. 3d. All diseases 

 have a local origin ; constitutional disorders being the result. 

 4th. Diseased organs transmit their suff'erings to others 

 through sympathy. 5th. Independently of these special 

 sympathies, the brain receives all morbid sympathies, and 

 transmits them to other structures, in variable intensity, 

 through the nerves. 6th. The intestinal mucous membrane 

 ranks first in this reflected sensibility ; so that all diseases 

 causing sympathetic irritation are accompanied with gastro- 

 enteritic disturbance. 7th. Four fifths of diseases are caused 

 by intestinal disturbance. Fever springs from intestinal 

 disturbance. 8th. All exciting causes, external or internal, 



