$4 DISEASES CLASS 1. 2. 3. 17; 



any other obftruc"lion to the circulation. See Clafs IV. 2. i. 18. 

 Pulfus intermittens, and Palpitatio cordis. 



In both thefe cafes the patients could not fleep above one min- 

 ute at a time ; which I aicribed to the debility of the action of 

 the heart compared with the refillance to the circulation, and 

 that fome voluntary exertion became neceflary to carry on the 

 circulation, which does not exift in fleep. See Clafs I. 2. I. 3. 

 Somnus interruptus. 



Thefe two cafes of patients about fixty years of age are here 

 mentioned from a curious circumftance, that both the patients 

 became in fome degree infane after being relieved by the tinc- 

 ture of digitalis taken to the quantity of thirty drops three or four 

 times a day for two or three days ; and remained in a flight de- 

 gree of infanity for fome months, and then as this increafe of 

 voluntary exertion ceafed, they again became afflicted with the 

 anafarca pulmonum, and fwelling of the legs, and this repeat- 

 edly for two or three years. I have before feen a common an- 

 afarca repeatedly cured by infanity for a year or two, and two 

 fevers I have feen attended with great debility cured by the ac- 

 cefs of infanity, which was called delirium by the attendants j 

 and I lately witnefled the prefent cure of what was believed to 

 be confumption by the accefs of infanity. All which were 

 probably effected by the increafed energy of fome parts of the 

 fyftem owing to the addition of volition to the fenforial powers 

 of irritation or afTociatiorL 



The ufual caufe of anafarca is from a difeafed liver, and hence 

 it moft frequently attends thofe, who have drunk much ferment- 

 ed or fpirituous liquors ; but I fufpecl that there is another 

 caufe of anafarca, which originates from the brain ; and which 

 is more certainly fatal than that, which originates from a difeaf- 

 ed liver. Thefe patients, where the anafarca originates from, or 

 commences in, the brain, have not other fymptoms of difeafed 

 Jiver ; have lefs difficulty of breathing at the beginning j and 

 hold themfelves more upright in their chair, and in walking. In 

 this kind of dropfy I fufpecl the digitalis has lefs or no efre6t ; 

 as it particularly increafes the abforption from the lungs. 



17. Obefitas. Corpulency may be called anafarca or dropfy 

 of fat, fmce it mult be owing to an analogous caufe; that is, to 

 the deficient abforption of fat compared to the quantity fecreted 

 into the cells which contain it. See Clafs II. i . i . 4. 



The method of getting free from too much fat without any 

 injury to theconftitution, confifls, firft, in putting on a proper 

 bandage on the belly, lo that it can be tightened or relaxed with 

 eafe, as a tightifh under waiflcoat, with a double row of buttons. 

 Xhis is to comprefs the bowels and increafe their abforption 5 



and 



