of the Stomach. 263 



four strokes with regularity, then a feebler and imper- 

 fect stroke ; and sometimes after several regular pulsa- 

 tions, two or three hurried ones ; sometimes intermitting 

 once in six, eight, or ten pulsations ; but with no regu- 

 larity in any of these respects. I have often observed all 

 these irregularities to be considerably increased, in one 

 person, whenever acidity abounded in his stomach. 



XII. Liability to be Affected by Changes in 

 THE We A THEE. A pcrsou uniformly enjoying high 

 health, can hardly form an idea of what is intended, un- 

 der this head. He might almost as vi^ell conceive of the 

 objects of a sixth sense. A gentleman who had been 

 troubled with severe debility of the stom.ach, about a 

 year and a half, w^ent in the month of October, to reside 

 in a large city, during the remainder of the autumn, and 

 the ensuing winter. In consequence of various causes, 

 his health rapidly improved. In the latter part of No- 

 vember, during several days of warm, foggy, relaxing 

 weather, being engaged in close study, he became dull 

 and spiritless, and his stomach was full of acidity. Find- 

 ing himself too much indisposed to pursue his usual em- 

 ployments, he walked out one evening, very slowlv, with 

 his eyes fixed upon the ground, and his mind totally in- 

 attentive to the surrounding objects. After walking lit- 

 tle more than a hundred rods, all his unpleasant feelings, 

 which had been of three or four days continuance, were 

 greatly mitigated, and soon totally ceased. On looking 

 about for the cause, he found vv^hat he had not before ob- 

 served, that the wind had changed to the north-west, and 

 that the fog and clouds were dissipating, and the sky be- 

 comino^ clear. 



The same person, during the latter part of December 

 ensuing, w^as confined to his room, by ill health, about 

 ten days. During five or six of the last days, the w^eath- 

 cr was extremely warm, damp, and relaxing, and the sky 

 continually cloudy. This brought on a great degree of 

 debility and languor. One evening at the close of this 

 period, about nine o'clock, he felt surprizingly better, 

 and instead of going to bed, as his ill feelings had prompt- 

 ed him to do, he sat up studying, till near midnight. He 

 was utterly unable to account for his change of feelings^ 



