CIASS II. 1. 2. 18. OF SENSATION. 179 



the body, and the affected part is liable to suppurate, in which 

 case a very dangerous ulcer is formed, and a part of one of the 

 vertebra is generally found carious, and the patient sinks after a 

 long time under the hectic fever occasioned by the aerated or 

 oxygenated matter. 



This disease bears no greater analogy to rheumatism than the 

 inflammation of the pleura, or any other membranous inflam- 

 mation; and has therefore unjustly been arranged under that 

 name. It is distinguished from nephritis, as it is seldom attend- 

 ed with vomiting, I suppose never, except the ureter happens to 

 be inflamed at the same time. 



The pain sometimes extends on the outside of the thigh 

 from the hip to the ankle, heel, or toes, and is then called 

 sciatica; and has been thought to consist in an inflammation of 

 the theca, or covering of the sciatic nerve, as the pain some- 

 times so exactly attends the principal branches of that nerve. See 

 Class 1.2.4. '15. 16. 



M. M. Venesection repeatedly; calomel; gentle cathartics; 

 diluents; warm bath; poultice on the back, consisting of camo- 

 mile flowers, turpentine, soap, and opium; a Burgundy pitch 

 plaster. A debility of the inferior limbs from the torpor of the 

 muscles, which had previously been too much excited, frequent- 

 ly occurs at the end of this disease; in this case electricity, and 

 issues on each side of the lumbar vertebra, are recommended. 

 See Class I. 2. 4. 16. 



18. Ischias. The ischias consists of inflammatory fever, with 

 great pain about the pelvis, the os coccygis, and the heads of the 

 (high-bones, preventing the patient from walking or standing 

 erect, with increase of pain on going to stool. This malady, as 

 well as the preceding, has been ascribed to rheumatism; with 

 which it seems to bear no greater analogy, than the inflamma- 

 tions of any other membranes. 



The patients are left feeble, and sometimes lame after this 

 disease; which is also sometimes accompanied with great flow 

 of urine, owing to the defective absorption of its aqueous parts; 

 and with consequent thirst occasioned by the want of so much 

 fluid being returned into the circulation; a lodgment of faeces 

 in the rectum sometimes occurs after this complaint from the 

 lessened sensibility of it. See Class I. 2. 4. 15. 



M. M. Venesection; gentle cathartics; diluents; fomenta- 

 tion; poultice with camomile flowers, turpentine, soap, and 

 opium; afterwards the bark. See Class I. 1.3. 5. 



When this inflammation terminates in suppuration the matter 

 generally can be felt to fluctuate in the groin, or near the top of 

 the thigh. In this circumstance, my friend, Mr, Bent, surgeon, 



