INTRODUCTION, 



Causes of Disease. 



Scientific men give three names when they speak of 

 the causes of dkesise— exciting, predisposing, and proxi- 

 mate. The first may justly be termed the originators of 

 disease ; by the second is meant those more easily acted 

 upon by causes that a more healthy animal would resist 

 altogether ; and the third is almost the disease itself. Of 

 the causes with which we are acquainted, not many of 

 them are alike, and their effects, that is, the disease, just 

 as diverse. 



These causes are named in the following table : — 



1. Electric, and other conditions of the atmosphere. 



2. Food and water. 



3. Overwork. 



4. Poisons — animal, vegetable, mineral, and zumins, 

 or ferments. 



5. Malformations, or badly-formed parts. ^ 



6. Age and decay. 



7. Changes of temperature. 



8. Hereditary influence. 



9. Mechanical. 



10. Starvation. 



That I may be more clearly understood, examples will 

 be given in the order above stated. 



