CLASS IV. 1. 2. 16. OP ASSOCIATION. 339 



with much mucus, and previous griping pains, but without vomit- 

 ing; and differs perhaps from dysentery from its not being at- 

 tended with bloody stools, and not being infectious. 



Rheumatic inflammations, which I believe to arise from the 

 sympathy of the inflamed part with the torpor of some distant 

 part, may, I think, be certainly distinguished from those inflam- 

 mations of the same part, which have not arisen from sympathy 

 with the torpor of some distant part, but where the cause of the 

 inflammation began in the part where the inflammation exists, 

 by this circumstance; that in rheumatic inflammation the hard 

 or sharp pulse continues at about 118 in a minute after the pain 

 abates or ceases. Whereas in the latter the inflammatory fever 

 ceases along with the pain. 



In two cases of pain of the side, and difficult respiration, 

 which I esteemed rheumatic, as the hard pulse of 118 with sized 

 blood continued after repeated venesection, gentle cathartics, 

 and mild antimonials, I found ten drops of saturated tincture of 

 digitalis given every six hours appear to produce great good effect, 

 and to abate and remove the inflammatory diathesis in three or 

 four days. 



Hence when a fever has continued more than one lunar pe- 

 riod, attended with a hard or sharp pulse of 118 or 120 in a 

 minute, and is not attended with cough or symptoms of absorbed 

 matter, it may be esteemed of rheumatic origin, though no local 

 pain or inflammation at present exists; and this with greater cer- 

 tainty, if pain had previously existed: for no fevers, except the 

 hectic fevers from absorbed matter, and this attended with in- 

 flammatory diathesis, and which may be called rheumatic, ever 

 properly extend, I believe, beyond one lunation; though symp- 

 toms of debility may continue a while longer. This observation 

 is worth attending to in practice, as it distinguishes the kind of 

 fever, in which, when the bark is erroneously given, it does no 

 service, and in which I believe saturated tincture of digitalis given 

 as above to be the most efficacious medicine. 



Rheumatismus suppurans. There is another kind of rheuma- 

 tism attended with debility, which suppurates and should be 

 termed rheumatism ua suppurans. It is generally believed to be 

 the gout, till suppuration takes place on the swelled joint; and, 

 as the patient sinks, there are sloughs formed over the whole 

 mouth; and he seems to be destroyed by inflammation or gan- 

 grene of the mucous membranes. I have twice seen this dis- 

 ease in patients about sixty. Some other diseases are errone- 

 ously called rheumatic, as hemicrania, and odontalgia. See Sect 

 XXVI. 3. 



M. M. In the three former kinds veneseetjoB repeatedly, Ca- 



