1 12 DISEASES CLASS I. 2. 4. 9. 



up and continued, or repeated frequently for an hour or two, or 

 longer, is said to remove the pain, and totally to cure the disease. 



9. Tympanitis. Tympany consists in an elastic tumour of the 

 abdomen, which sounds on being struck. It is generally attend- 

 ed with costiveness and emaciation. In one kind the air is said 

 to exist in the bowels, in which case the tumour is less equal, 

 and becomes less tense and painful on the evacuation of air. In 

 the other kind the air exists in the cavity of the abdomen, and 

 sometimes is in a few days exchanged for water, and the tym- 

 pany becomes an ascites. 



Air may be distinguished in the stomachs of many people by 

 the sound on striking it with the fingers, and comparing the 

 sound with that of a similar percussion on other parts of the 

 bowels: but towards the end of fevers and especially in the 

 puerperal fever, a distention of the abdomen by air is generally 

 a fatal symptom, though the ease, and often cheerfulness of the 

 patient, vainly flatters the attendants. 



M M. In the former case a clyster-pipe unarmed may be in- 

 troduced, and left some time in the rectum, to take oft" the re- 

 sistance of the sphincter, and thus discharge the air, as it is pro- 

 duced from the fermenting or putrefying aliment. For this 

 purpose, in a disease somewhat similar in horses, a perforation is 

 made into the rectum on one side of the sphincter; through 

 which fistula the air, which is produced in such great excess 

 from the quantity of vegetable food which they take, when their 

 digestions are impaired, is perpetually evacuated. In both cases 

 also, balsams, essential oil, spice, bandage on the abdomen, and, 

 to prevent the fermentation of the aliment, acid of vitriol, saliva. 

 See Class I. 2. 4. 5. 



10. Hypochondriasis. The hypochondriac disease consists in 

 indigestion and consequent flatulency, with anxiety or want of 

 pleasurable sensation. When the action of the stomach and' 

 bowels is impaired, much gas becomes generated by the ferment- 

 ing or putrescent aliment, and to this indigestion is catenated 

 languor, coldness of the skin, and fear. For when the extremi- 

 ties are cold for too long a time in some weak constitutions, indi- 

 gestion is produced by direct sympathy of the skin and the sto- 

 mach, with consequent heartburn, and flatulency. The same 

 occurs, if the skin be made cold by fear, as in riding over dan- 

 gerous roads in winter, and hence conversely fear is produced 

 by indigestion or torpor of the stomach by association. 



This disease is confounded with the fear of death, which is 

 an insanity, and therefore of a totally different nature. It is 

 also confounded with the hysteric disease^ which consists in the 



