SECT. XXXVI. 3. PERIODS OF DISEASES. 521 



to degenerate into a fever with only remiffions ; fo 

 when menftruation recurs fooner than the period of 

 lunation, it (hews a tendency of the habit to torpor 

 or inirritability. 



5* The periods of quartan fevers return at folar 

 intervals of feventy-two hours, or at lunar ones of 

 about feventy-four hours and an half. This kind of 

 ague appears mod in moid cold autumns, and in 

 cold countries replete with marfhes. It is attended 

 with greater debility, and its cold accefs more dif- 

 ficult to prevent. For where there is previoufly 

 a deficiency of fenforial power, the conftitution is 

 liable to run into greater torpor from any further 

 diminution of it ; two ounces of bark and fome 

 fteel fhould be given on the day before the retutn 

 of the cold paroxyfm, and a pint of wine by de- 

 grees a few hours before its return, and thirty drops 

 of laudanum one hour before the expected cold fit. 



6. The periods of the gout generally commence 

 about an hour before fun-rife, which is ufually the 

 coldeft part of the twenty-four hours. The greater 

 periods of the gout fee in alfo to obferve the folar 

 influence, returning about the fame feafon of the 

 year. 



7. The periods of the pleurify recur with exacer- 

 bation of the pain and fever about fun-fet, at which 

 time venefeclion is of moft fervice. The fame may 

 be obferved of the inflammatory rheumatifm, and 

 other fevers with arterial ftrength, which feem to 

 obey folar periods ; and thofe with debility feem to 

 obey lunar ones. 



8. The periods of fevers with arterial debility 

 feem to obey the lunar day, having their accefs daily 

 nearly an hour later ; and have fometimes two ac- 

 cefles in a day, refembling the lunar efJe&s upon the 

 tides. 



9. The periods of rhaphania, or convulfions of 

 the limbs from rheumatic pains, feem to be con- 



