Xll INTRODUCTION. 



the lowering of life, and even in its most trivial forms it must be regarded as the 

 " shadow of death." Some diseases are, however, of very much greater moment than 

 others. A corn is a disease, and so is a cancer, but they differ so widely in their 

 effects on the constitution, that we seldom recognise the fact that they are both 

 expressions of a damaged existence. 



"VVe estimate the importance of a disease by the power that it possesses of 

 limiting life in its utility, its enjoyment, or its duration. Some diseases have a 

 tendency to cut short life suddenly, as, for example, certain diseases of the heart, and 

 that frightful malady known as angina pectoris, or suffocative breast pang. Then 

 other diseases, although they never arrest life suddenly, have a tendency to shorten 

 its duration. Cancer is probably the best example of this class. Consumption not 

 only shortens life, but sometimes, when copious bleeding from the lungs ensues,, 

 kills immediately. Then there are certain other diseases which, although they do- 

 not cut short life suddenly, or limit its duration, make it almost useless. Thus 

 many a sufferer from chronic bronchitis or winter-cough is afraid to go out in the 

 open air on a cold day, and an asthmatic is completely helpless as long as his attack 

 lasts. Epilepsy is a disease which prevents the unfortunate sufferer from following 

 many occupations. A man is, we will suppose, a carman, or a porter on a railway, 

 and he has a fit. He is forthwith discharged ; there is no help for it, the safety of 

 others demands it. The fit may occur at any time and without a moment's warning, 

 and it is impossible for him to obtain another place, for every one is afraid to employ 

 him. The result is that he rapidly becomes reduced to a condition of poverty, and 

 ultimately drifts into the workhouse. These cases are by no means uncommon, and 

 several have come under our immediate observation. Here the disease has 110 

 tendency to shorten life, and is of importance simply because it prevents the sufferer 

 from following his occupation, and makes him a burden on the working portion of 

 the community. Then again, there are other complaints which are of importance 

 simply because they interfere with the enjoyment of life. A man becomes hypo- 

 chondriacal, he has nothing the matter with him, but he fancies he is suffering from 

 all kinds of diseases. His life is a misery to him, and he is a nuisance to every one 

 else. His condition in no way interferes with his capability of earning a livelihood, 

 and he may perform his duties in the most exemplary manner, but his very existence 

 is hateful to him. We estimate the importance of any particular disease by our 

 power of placing it under one or other of the categories we have mentioned. 



The number of diseases from which a man may suffer in the course of a life- 

 time is very great, and, indeed, if we include all their differences in kind and 

 degree, is scarcely calculable. These diseases are, of course, recognised by distinctive 

 names. The nomenclature of diseases is, to say the least of it, a very mixed one. 

 Some time ago an attempt was made to introduce the binomial system into medicine, 

 but the difficulties were insurmountable, and it had to be abandoned. The 

 proposition was to give every disease a generic and a specific name, so as to make it 

 assimilate with the nomenclature adopted in botany and zoology. The attempt, as 

 we have said, was a failure, and on the whole we are not sorry for it, for we get 

 along very well with our old-fashioned names and terms, many of which have been 

 in use for centuries. It is very curious to notice in what diverse fashions diseases- 



