254 DISEASES Clafs II. i. 6. 7. 



drowfinefs. If this drowfinefs was encouraged, the fever ran 

 high, and he awoke from difturbed fleep, wearied and deprefled. 

 If it was refolutely refitted by gentle exercife, it went off iir about 

 an hour, as well as the increafed frequency of the pulfe. This 

 agitation was however fuch as to incapacitate him during the 

 afternoon for ftudy of any kind. The fame effects did not fol- 

 low a meal of milk and vegetables, but under this diet"his ftrength 

 did not recruit ; whereas after the ufe of animal food it recov- 

 ered rapidly, not with (landing the inconvenience already men- 

 tioned. For this inconvenience he at laft found a remedy in the 

 ufe of coffee immediately after dinner, recommended to him by 

 his friend Dr. Percival. At firft this remedy operated like a 

 charm, but by frequent ufe, and indeed by abufe, it no longer 

 pofieiTes its original efficacy. 



Dr. Falconer, in his Differtation on the Influence of the Paf- 

 fions and Affections of the Mind on Health and Difeafe, fuppo- 

 fes that the cheerfulnefs which attends hectic fever, the ever- 

 fpringing hope, which brightens the gloom of the confumptive 

 patient, increafes the difeafed actions, and haftens his doom. 

 And hence he is led to inquire, whether the influence of fear 

 might not be fubflituted in fuch cafes to that of hope with ad- 

 vantage to the patient ? This queftion I fhall not prefume to 

 anfwer, but it leads me to fay fomething of the ftate of the mind 

 in the cafe juft related. 



The patient, being a phyfician, was not ignorant of his dan- 

 ger, which forne melancholy circumftances ferved to imprefs 

 on his mind. It has already been mentioned, that his mother 

 and grandfather died of this difcafe. It may be added, that in 

 the year preceding that on which he himfelf was attacked, a 

 fifter of his was carried oi? by confumption in her i yth year ; 

 that in the fame winter in which he fell ill, two other lifters 

 were feized with the fame fatal diforder, to which one of them 

 fell a victim during his refidence at Briftol, and that the hope 

 of bidding a laft adieu to the other was the immediate caufe of 

 his journey to Scotland, a hope which, alas ! was indulged in 

 vain. The day on which he reached the end of his journey, her 

 remains were committed to the duft I It may be" conjectured 

 from thefe circumitances, that whatever benefit may be derived 

 from the apprehenfion of death, muft in this cafe have been 

 obtained. The expectation of this ifTue was indeed for fome 

 time fo fixed that it ceafed to produce much agitation 5 in con- 

 formity to that general law of our nature, by which aim oft all 

 men fubmit with compofure to a fate that is forefeen, and that 

 appears inevitable. As however the progrefs of difeaie and de- 

 bility feemed to be arreited, the hope and the love of life reviv- 

 ed, 



