of the Stomach. 267 



e>f the stomach, will, of course, have relaxed fibres 

 throughout, and feel muscular contractions ; and can- 

 not possibly make the same advances in science, or ac- 

 quire as great a mass of information, as one who does not 

 labour under these evils, and yet possesses no more dis- 

 crimination, or celerity of coi^rect thought. The differ- 

 ence between the two men in these respects, after the 

 lapse of twenty years, will be great, if both have made the 

 most of their advantages. 



XIV. Reverie. This state of mind, all persons la- 

 bouring under this disease will, to a greater or less de- 

 gree, slide into. Few causes so much increase acidity 

 in the stomach, with its attendant consequences, as sys- 

 tematic thought. For ten years past, during most of the 

 hot weather, one hour's attentive reading would, almost 

 at any time, induce such ajU excess of acidity in my own 

 stomach, witli such an >uneasy, gnawing sensation in that 

 viscus, from the action of the acid upon the fibres, to- 

 gether with severe headache, and pain in the eyes, as to 

 compel me to desist. Many hundred times has the ef- 

 fort been repeated, and almost as often relinquished. An 

 hour is usually, and half an hour very often, the utmost 

 extent of time to Aviiich the experiment can be pushed, 

 during a day. The first Sensation is considerable heat 

 in the stomach, then the gnawing sensation above descri- 

 bed, then flushes of heat, succeeded by darting pains in 

 the head, fixed pain in the fore part of the head, pains in 

 the balls of the eyes, therijjtremor of the hands, and uni- 

 versal debility. This continues through the day, and 

 sometimes through two days, in very hot weather, unless 

 thrown off by brisk exercise. But in cold and dry 

 weather, I find myself often able to read two or three 

 hours in a da3% without much inconvenience. That such 

 sufferings should discourage study, or the renewal of the 

 cause of them, and draw the mind insensibly, and almost 

 irresistibly, into a state of reverie, is not to be wondered 

 at. Some persons of this stamp spend a great part of 

 their waking thoughts, when they are not engaged in 

 some active business, in Iiumming tunes, or repeating a 

 few lines of poetry. Several hours in a day, aref-^^Gt,ua- 



