238 On Chronic DebtRty 



viscera, (viz. the liver, pancreas, spleen, intestines, kid- 

 neys, &c.) and the uterus, bladder, &c. 



This sympathy was made by our Creator, for very wise 

 and benevolent reasons. I will mention two only, which 

 have presented themselves to my mind. 



1. It appears to be a law of our nature, nearly abso- 

 iute, that the body is ?iot liable to two general diseases at 

 the same time. If exceptions to this rule exist, they are 

 rare, so far at least as my information extends. It also 

 appears to be usually, perhaps almost uniformly the fact, 

 thai one local disease, or morbid action, ' arising in one 

 part of the system, lessens or destroys a local disease or 

 miorbid action, which may have previously existed in an- 

 other. I will briefly illustrate this subject. A person 

 cannot at the same time, have the yellow fever and the 

 measles. The operation of every blister in local inflam- 

 mations or debilities, illustrates the latter assertion. 

 Thus when from great irritability of the stomach obsti- 

 nate vomitings take place, a blister upon the epigastric 

 region, will aflJbrd great and often absolute relief. Hence 

 when morbid sympathies arise from diseased action in 

 the stomach, that viscus receives less permanent injury, 

 than if no such sympathies existed. A transfer pf a part of 

 the morbid action is made from the stomach, to the sym- 

 pathetic parts ; and in some degree in proportion to the 

 number or variety, and to the severity of the sympathet- 

 ic actions, so that the stomach suffers only a part of the 

 evil. Without this relief death v/ould in many instances 

 ensue, in consequence of the accumulation of morbid 

 action in an organ so exceedingly tender and delicate. 



2. We are thus warned of many things injurious to 

 our health. In contemplating this subject we may, with 

 the most evident propriety, say with the King of Israel, 

 that " we are fearfully and wonderfully made.^^ 



A physician accustomed to make accurate observa- 

 tions, might greatly benefit himself by noting, from time 

 to time, such instances of sympathetic action as he met 

 with in his practise. 



The symptoms or morbid effects of Chronic De- 

 bility of the Stomach are, 



1. Those which exist in the stomach and intestines. 

 These are acidity ; wind ; a rancid state of the aliment- 



