CLASS I. 2. 2. 17. OF IRRITATION. 77 



near the fwelled part have been found of great fervice, as men- 

 tioned in Species 1 8 of this Genus. This has induced me to 

 propofe in curvatures of the fpine, to put an iflue on the outfide 

 of the curve, where it could be certainly afcertained, as the bones 

 on the convex fide of the curve muft be enlarged , in one cafe I 

 thought this of fervice, and recommend the further trial of it. 



In the tendency to curvature of the fpine, whatever ftrength- 

 ens the general conftitution is of fervice ; as the ufe of the cold 

 bath in the fummer months. This however requires fome re- 

 ftri&ion both in refpeft to the degree of coldnefs of the bath, 

 the time of continuing in it, and the feafon of the year. Com- 

 mon fprings, which are of forty-eight degrees of heat, are too 

 cold for tender conductions, whether of children or adults, and 

 frequently do them great and irreparable injury. The coldnefs 

 of river- water in the fummer months, which is about (ixty-eight 

 degrees, or that of Matlock, which is about fixty-eight, or of 

 Buxton, which is eighty-two, are much to be preferred. The 

 time of continuing in the bath mould be but a minute or two, 

 or not fo long as to occafion a trembling of the limbs from cold. 

 In refpeft to the feafon of the year, delicate children mould 

 certainly only bathe in the fummer months ; as the going fre- 

 quently into the cold air in winter will anfwer all the purpofes 

 of the cold bath. 



17. Claudicat'io coxaria. Lamenefs of the hip. A nodding 

 of the thigh-bone is faid to be produced in feeble children by the 

 foftnefs of the neck or upper part of that bone beneath the car- 

 tilage ; which is naturally bent, and in this difeafe bends more 

 downwards, or nods, by the preflure of the body ; and thus 

 renders one leg apparently fhorter than the other. In other 

 cafes the end of the bone is protruded out of its focket, by in- 

 flammation or enlargement of the cartilages or ligaments of the 

 joint, fo thai it reits on fome part of the edge of the acetabu- 

 lum, which in time becomes filled up. When the legs are 

 ftraight, as in (landing erect, there is no verticillary motion in 

 the knee-joint ; all the motion then in turning out the toes fur- 

 ther than nature defigned, muft be obtained by draining in fome 

 degree this head of the thigh-bone, or the acetabulum, or cavi- 

 ty, in which it moves. This has induced me to believe, that this 

 misfortune of the nodding of the head of the bone, or partial 

 diflocation of it, by which one leg becomes fhorter than the other, 

 i;i fometimes occafioned by making very young children (land in 

 what are called {locks ; that is with their heels together, and 

 their toes quite out. Whence the focket of the thigh-bone be- 

 comes inflamed and painful, or the neck of the bone is bent 

 downward and outwards. 



In 



