62 SORBENTIA. ART. IV. 2. 11. r. 



ours to bring the lips of thofe ulcers nearer together by means 

 of flips of adhefive plafter, as above defcribed ; which feems to 

 have been attended with great fuccefs, without confinement of 

 the patient. See Sett. XXXIII. 3. 2. 



But when flips of adhefive plafter are put over a wound fo as 

 to bring the edges of it together nearly, or quite, into contact 

 with each other, the part is at the fame time covered, as the flips 

 of adhefive plaiter are applied, from the eye of the furgeon I 

 have therefore advifed two tin plates a little longer than the 

 wound, and about half an inch broad, to be faftened to the ends 

 of the pieces of adhefive plafter, and applied one on each lip o 

 the wound or ulcer ; and then by a narrow flip of adhefive plaf- 

 ter applied at each end of thefe tins, they may be drawn togeth- 

 er, and the whole lips of the wound may be feen at the fame 

 time by the furgeon ; and then a comprefs of thin lead, or of 

 linen, may be applied by other ftrips of plafter fo as to heal re- 

 cent wounds, and even ulcers, without fcarcely any unevenefs 

 or width of the fear. 



XL i. We ihall conclude by obferving, that the forbentia 

 ftrengthen the whole habit by preventing the efcape of the fluid 

 part of the fecretions out of the body, before it has given up as 

 much nourifhment, as it is capable ; as the liquid part of the fe- 

 cretion of urine, fweat, faliva, and of all other fecretions, which 

 are poured into receptacles. Hence they have been faid to 

 brace the body, and been called tonics, which are mechanical 

 terms not applicable to the living bodies of animals j as explain- 

 ed in Sea. XXXII. 3. 2. 



2. A continued ufe of bitter medicines for years together, as 

 of Portland's powder, or of the bark, is fuppofed to induce apo- 

 plexy, or other fatal difeafes Two cafes of this kind have fall- 

 en under my obfervation ; the patients were both rather intem- 

 perate in refpedt to the ufe of fermented liquors, and one of 

 them had been previoufly fubjecl: to the gout. As I believe the 

 gout generally originates from a torpor of the liver, which, in- 

 ftead of being fucceeded by an inflammation of it, is fucceeded 

 by an inflammation of fome of the joints ; or by a pimpled face, 

 which is another mode, by which the difeafe of the iiver is ter- 

 minated : I conceive, that the daily ufe of bitter medicines had 

 in thefe patients prevented the removal of a gouty inflammation 

 from the liver to the membranes of the joints of the extremities, 

 or to the (kin of the face, by preventing the neceflfary torpor 

 of thefe parts previous to the inflammation of them ; in the lame 

 manner as cold fits of fever are prevented by the fame medicines ; 

 and, as I believe, the returns of the gout have fome times for 

 two or three years been prevented by them. 



One 



