266 DISEASES Clafs II. 2. 2. i. 



ORDO II. 



Decrfafed Senfatlon* 



GENUS II. 



Of particular Organs. 



SPECIES. 



I . Anorexia. Want of appetite. Some elderly people, and 

 thofe debilitated by fermented liquors, are liable to lofe their 

 appetite for animal food ; which is probably in part owing to 

 the deficiency of gaftric acid, as well as to the general decay of 

 the fyfteni : elderly people will go on years without animal food ; 

 but inebriates foon (ink, when their digeftion becomes fo far im- 

 paired. Want of appetite is fometimes produced by the putrid 

 matter from many decaying teeth being perpetually mixed with 

 the faliva, and thence affecting the organs of tafte, and greatly- 

 injuring the digeftion. 



M. M. Fine charcoal powder diffufed in warm water, held in 

 the mouth frequently in a day, as in Clafs I. i. 4. 4. or folution 

 of alum in water. Extract the decayed teeth. An emetic. A 

 blifter. Chalybeates. Vitriolic acid. Bile of an ox infpiiTated, 

 and made into pills ; 20 grains to be taken before dinner and 

 fupper. Opium half a grain twice a day. 



All the ftrength we poflefs is ultimately derived from the 

 food, which we are able to digeft ; whence a total debility of 

 the fyfteni frequently follows the want of appetite, and of the 

 power of digeftion. Some young ladies I have obferved to fall 

 into this general debility, fo as but juft to be able to walk about ; 

 which I have fometimes afcribed to their voluntary fading, 

 when they believed themfelves too plump ; and who have thus 

 loft both their health and beauty by too great abftinence, which 

 could never be reftored. 



Two young ladies applied to me, who had experienced many 

 months of great debility, and of almoft total want of appetite, 

 from another caufe, \vhich was from bathing 0n a warm day iri 

 a cold fountain of water, which was covered from the fun and 

 fupplied by a powerful fpring; but gradually afterwards recov- 

 ered their health by the ufe of fix grains of rhubarb with one 

 gniin of opium every night for fome weeks, and a bitter draught 

 twice a day with a flight chalybeate. See Clafs III. 2. i. 17. 



I have feen other cafes of what may be termed anorexia epi- 



Icptica, 



