DISEASES ciafe n. i. 5. 6, 



of it, many bad fymptoms are produced ; as weaknefo of digef- 

 tion, with pale bloated countenance, and tendency to dropfy. 

 I have twice feen St. Vitus's dance occur, from the ufe of a mer- 

 curial girdle , and once a fwelled liver. I have alfo feen a fwell- 

 ed fpleen and fwelled legs from the external ufe of arfenic in the 

 cure of the itch. And very numerous and large phlegmons 

 commonly fucceed the too hafty cure of it by other means. 



There does not appear a ftril analogy between the hafty cure 

 of the itch, and the retroceffion of the puftules in the feeondary 

 fever of the fmall-pox ; becaufe in that the abforption of the 

 matter is evinced by the fwelling of the face and hands, as> 

 the puftules recede, as explained in Clafs II. i. 3. 9. Variola 

 difcreta. And a fever is produced by this abforption ; neither 

 of which happen, when the puftules of the itch are deftroyed by 

 mercury or arfenic. 



Nor can thefe inconveniences, which occur on the too hafty 

 cure of the itch, be explained by thofe which follow the cure of 

 fome kinds of gutta rofea, Clafs II. i. 4. 6. as in thofe the erup- 

 tions on the face were an aflociated difeafe with inflammation,- 

 of the. liver or ftomach, which they were accuftomed to* relieve ; 

 whereas the itch is not known to have had any previous catena- 

 tion with other difeafes. 



In the itch there exifts not only great irritation in the produc- 

 tion of the puftules, but great fenfation is caufed by their acri- 

 mony afterwards ; infomuch that the pain of itching without the 

 interrupted fmarting occafioned by fcratching, would be intol- 

 erable. This great excitement of the two fenforial powers o 

 irritation and fenfation is fo great, when the puftules are diffufed 

 over the whole furface of the body, that a torpor fucceeds the 

 fudden ceafmg of it ; which affects thofe parts of the fyftem 

 which were moft catenated with the new motions of the fkin, 

 as the ftomach, whence indigeft'on and flatulency ; or which 

 are generally moft liable to fail into torpor, as- the numerous 

 ids, which form the- liver. Whence the difeafes confequent 

 to the hafty cure of the itch are difeafes of debility, as tumid vif- 

 cera, csdematous fwellings, and St. Vitus's dance, which is a 

 debility of afibciation. In the fame manner indigeftion, with 

 green evacuations, are faid to follow an injudicious application 

 of ceruffa to (top too haftily the exfudation behind the ears of 

 children, Clafs I. i. 2. 9. And dropfies are liable to fucceed 

 the cure of old ulcers of the legs, which have long ftimulated 

 the fyftem.. 



M. M. The fize of a large pea, of an ointment confiding of 



cne part cf white precipitate of mercury, to fix parts of hog's 



-.veil triturated together, to be rubbed on a part of the body 



every 



