SECT. XXXI. i. OF TEMPERAMENTS. 277 



SECT. XXXL 



OF TEMPERAMENTS. 



L The temperament of decreafed irritability known by weak 



large pupils of 'the eye '/, cold extremities. Are generally fuppofed 

 to be too irritable. Bear pain better than labour. Natives of 

 North- America contra fled with thofe upon the coaft of Africa. 

 Narrow and broad Jhouldered people a Irritable conftitutions bear 

 labour better than pain. II. Temperament of increafedfenfibility. 

 Liable to intoxication , to inflammation^ hamoptoe, gutta ferena^ en- 

 thufiafm, delirium , reverie Thefe conftitutions are indolent to 

 voluntary exertions ', and dull to irritations. The natives of South- 

 America^ and brute animals of this temperament. III. Of in- 

 creafed voluntarity ; thefe are fubjetl to locked jaw y convulfions^ 

 epilepfy^ mania* Are very active^ bear cold y hunger^ fatigue. 

 Are fuited to great exertions. This temperament dijlinguifoes 

 mankind from other animals. IV. Of increafed affbciation. 

 Thefe have great memories^ are liable to quartan agues> and 

 Jironger fympathies of parts with each other. V. Change of 

 temperaments into one another. 



ANCIENT writers have fpoken much of temperaments, but 

 without fufficient precifion. By temperament of the fyftem 

 fhould be meant a permanent prediipofition to certain dalles of 

 dileafes : without this definition a temporary predifpofition to 

 every diftinft malady might be termed a temperament. There 

 are four kinds of conititurion, which permanently deviate from 

 good health, and are perhaps fufficiently marked to be diftin- 

 guilhed from each other, and conftitute the temperaments or 

 predifpofitions to the irritative, fenfitive, voluntary, and afToci- 

 ate claries of difeafes. 



I. The Temperament of decreafed Irritability. 



THE difeafes, which are caufed by irritation, mod frequently 

 originate from the defeft of it ; for thofe, which are immedi- 

 ately owing to theexcefsof it, as the hot fits of fever,are gener- 

 ally occafioned by an accumulation of fenforial power in confe- 

 quence of a previous defel of irritation, as in the preceding 

 cold fits of fever. Whereas the difeaies, which are caufed by 

 fenfation and volition, moft frequently originate from the excefs 

 qf thofe fenforial powers, as will be explained below. 



The temperament of decreafed irritability appears from the 



following 



