DISEASES CLASS III. a, 



tinum, like the urinary bladder in the preceding article, poflefles 

 voluntary power of motion ; though thefe volitions are at times 

 uncontrolable by the will, when the acrimony of the contained 

 feces, or their bulk, ftimulates it to a greater degree. Hence it 

 happens, that this part is liable to lofe its voluntary power by 

 paralyfis, but is (till liable to be flimulated into action by the 

 contained feces. This frequently occurs in fevers, and is a bad 

 fign as a fymptom of general debility ; and it is the fenfibility of 

 the mufcular fibres of this and of the urinary bladder remaining, 

 after the volantarity has ceafed, which occasions thefe two ref- 

 ervoirs fo foon to regain, as the fever ceafes, their obedience to 

 volition ; becaufe the paralyfis is thus {hewn to be lefs complete 

 in thofe cafes than in common hemiplegia ; as in the latter the 

 fenfe of touch, though perhaps riot the fenfe of pain, is generally 

 deftroyed in the paralytic limb. 



M. M. A fponge introduced within the fphincter ani to pre- 

 vent the conftant difcharge, which fhould have a firing put 

 through it, by which it may be retracted. 



8. Pare/is volunlaria. Indolence ; or inaptitude to voluntary 

 aftion. This debility of the exertion of voluntary efforts pre- 

 vents the accompli fhment of all great events in life. It often 

 originates from a miftaken education, in which pleafure or flat* 

 tery is made the immediate motive of action, and not futue ad- 

 vantage ; or what is termed duty. This obfervation is of great 

 value to thole, who attend to the education of their own chil- 

 dren. I have feen one or two young married ladies of fortune, 

 who perpetually became uneafy, and believed themfelves ill, a 

 week after their arrival in the country, and continued fo uniform- 

 ly during their ftay , yet on their return to London or Bath im- 

 mediately loft all their complaints, and this repeatedly ; which I 

 was led to afcribe to their being in their infancy furrounded with 

 menial attendants, who had flattered them into the exertions 

 they then ufed. And that in their riper years, they became tor- 

 pid for want of this ilimuius, and could not amufe themfelves 

 by any -voluntary employment ; but required ever after, either 

 to be amufed by other people, or to be flattered into activity. 

 This I fuppofe, in the other fex, to have fupplied one fource of 

 ennui and fuicide. See Clafs III. i. 2. 11. 



9. Catalepfts is fometimes uftd for fixed fpafmodic contractions 

 or tetanus, as defcribed in Sect. XXXIV. i. ^. and in Clafs 

 III. i. i. 13. but is properly fimply an inaptitude to mufcular 

 motion, the limbs remaining in any attitude in which they are 

 placed. One patient whom I faw in this fituation, had taken 

 much mercury, and appeared univerfally torpid. He fat in a 

 chair in any pofture he was put, and held a glafs to his mouth 



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