halation of a lowered atmosphere, of other 
modified gases, and even volatile astringent 
substances, have been also proposed and tried, 
but not with decided beneiit. In the con- 
tinued stages of phthisis, animal diet which 
is nutritive, without being stimulant, ought 
to be advised. Bath waters and cold sea- 
bathing are improper in every stage of the 
complaint. 
1N.B. If consumption be symptomatic of 
other diseases, while the symptoms are sub- 
dued by the above remedies, the attention 
must necessarily be turned principally to- 
wards the original alfection. 
Caution. All the signs ot consumption may 
be present without the presence of the dis- 
ease. Debility, emaciation, and cough, may 
be brought on by nervous, independant of 
organic disease, as well as by worms and in- 
testinal viscidities. Hectic fever may be 
occasioned in certain constitutions by mental 
affections alone ; this likewise is sometimes 
induced by worms. Purulent expectoration, 
indeed, is decisive ; but the nature of the 
sputa is not with facility, in every case, to be 
decided upon. 
Demis ill. Hcemorrhois, the piles. 
Weight and pain of the head, vertigo, 
pain in the anus and loins, swellings and tiux 
of blood from the anus. 
M.M. If symptoms of arterial activity 
accompany the lmnorrhoids, vitriolic acid, 
with moderate astringents, such as infusion 
ot roses. r I emperance, exercise, abstinence 
from spirituous liquors and spices. Tama- 
rinds. Lenitive electuary, sulphur, chrys- 
tals of tartar. Castor oil. Warm fomen- 
tation, by sitting over the steam of heated 
water. Leeches. These two last remedies, are 
especially serviceable in what are called the 
blind Hemorrhoids, where there is swelling 
with pain from congestion in the hemor- 
rhoidal veins, without any discharge ol blood 
from the anus. 
When the hemorrhoidal flux is attended 
with much debility, while the bowels ate 
kept open by castor-oil and other similar 
purgatives, the more powerful astringents are 
to be employed. Steel. Exercise. Generous 
diet. Cheerful train of thinking. See Sur- 
gery. 
Genus I\ . Menorrhagia, immoderate 
menstrual tiux. 
Symptoms. Pain in the back and loins, 
vertigo, difficulty of breathing, flushes of heat 
and cold, frequent pulse ; in cases where the 
disease is more directly from debility, loss 
ol appetite, paleness ol countenance, cold- 
ness ot the limbs, (edematous swellings about 
the ancles. 
M.M. In the first species, the menstrual 
| irregularity generally arises from hysteric cr 
f nervous affections, libidinous desires, and 
j other violent passions ; in this case attention 
must be paid to counteract the cause. Avoid 
I stimuli of all kinds, mental or physical. Re- 
frigerant catnartics, if costiveness be present. 
Moderate astringents, shell as infusion of 
roses, and the sulphuric acid. In the menor- 
rhagia of direct debility, astringents, cordials, 
; and stimulants. Peruvian bark and sul- 
phuric acid, opium, alum, port wine. Ex- 
ternal application of cold water, or vinegar. 
Steel. See Midwifery. 
Order V. Profiuvia. 
The profiuvia; are distinguished by Dr. Cul- 
V OL. II. 
MEDICINE. 
len from hemorrhages, by the discharges not 
being naturally sanguinary. This order con- 
tains two genera, catarrh us and dysenteria, 
both of which might have found more appro- 
priate situations even in Dr. Cullen’s own 
nosology. 
Genus I. Catarrhus, a cold. 
^Symptoms. Pyrexia, with increased dis- 
charge from the mucous membrane of the 
nostrils, and in violent cases of the fauces 
and bronchia 1 , with cough. 
1 he term cold, which is made use of, in 
common language, principally to denote an 
inflammatory condition of the mucous mem- 
brane of the nose, is exceedingly incorrect ; 
it not only confounds the effect with the 
cause ot the disorder, but conveys an errone- 
ous idea of the mode in which such disorder 
is created. 
The operation of cold, unless through the 
medium of the sensations, is invariably nega- 
tive ; it is merely an abstraction of the stimu- 
lant power of heatj and by its application to 
the living body (from an invariable law of 
organic existence) renders the frame in a 
more than ordinary measure susceptible of 
such, and other stimulant powers. Forex- 
ample: Suppose an animal to exist in a me- 
dium temperature of 60°, let 10° be subtract- 
ed for a short period, and afterwards precipi- 
tately added, the 60° will now act as with a 
power, perhaps, ot 65, on account of the pre- 
vious abstraction of stimuli producing, as if 
lias been very properly expressed, “ an ac- 
cumulation of excitability.” In this manner 
then is explained the agency of cold, in en- 
gendering inflammatory disorders, among 
which that we are now considering is 
one of the most frequent; an explanation 
founded upon a principle for the develope- 
ment of which we are unquestionably indebt- 
ed to the genius of Dr. Brown. T his author, 
however, made an improper use of his own 
discovery ; he did not sufficiently take into 
account the complicated and combined 
functions of the animal economy; and the 
very first position which he deduced from the ( 
detection of this important, and indeedj. cha- 
racteristic, quality of living existence, is prac- 
tically incorrect. “ Cold applied to the 
animal system never proves injurious unless 
succeeded by heat:” frigus wunquam nocet, 
nisi ubi ejus actionem calor excipit. In en- 
deavouring to support this assumption, Dr. 
Brown and his disciples have aimed to prove 
that those symptoms which are usually cha- 
racterised by the appellation of a cold, as 
well as rheumatism, and all other diseases 
arising from exposure to cold, are not oc- 
casioned until the same or a superior degree 
of external heat be restored ; forgetting that 
the “ accumulation of excitability” immedi- 
ately resulting from diminished temperature 
is acted upon, and thus inflammatory irri- 
tation engendered, by the remaining stimuli 
of the frame, external and internal. Thus 
an individual, while still exposed to the ca- 
tarrh-producing temperature, w hile, for ex- 
ample, his feet remain wet and cold, shall 
have inflammation in the mucous membrane 
ol the nose and fauces, febrile irritation, and 
all the usual phenomena of catarrh ; the ba-'. 
lance of excitement being overturned, and 
turbulent irritant action being established 
in its stead. 
Further, the existence of a cold does not 
suppose the presence of a sthenic disease : 
T 
145 
indeed the exact contrary is the fact, for the 
malady will be occasioned with most facility 
when the frame is w'eak and irritable. 
U by the membrane of the nostrils, &c. 
should be the readiest to suffer morte par- 
ticularly, does not seem to admit of an easy 
explanation ; it is important, however, to re- 
collect what has been pointed out in an ex- 
plicit manner by Dr. -Beddoes, and since by 
Dr. Reid, that this membrane is a part of the 
same expansion with that which lines the 
windpipe and enters tiie lungs ; so that iu 
fact a common inflammatory cold is a degree 
of the same disease with an inflammation of 
the lungs. 
M.M. Moderate and equal temperature. 
The bowels to be kept gently open. If the 
febrile irritation is considerable, sudorifics. 
Antimonials, nitre. Oleaginous substances 
may be used to allay the cough ; but iiritat- 
ing balsams, such as cough-medicines are 
generally composed of, are in the highest 
degree detrimental; they too often increase 
the disposition to, and sometimes actually 
produce, confirmed consumption. Liquo- 
rice, honey, boiled fig, almond emulsion. 
If the phthisical tendency is conspicuous, 
digitalis (see the section on Phthisis pulmo- 
nalis). 
Genus II. Dysenteria, dysentery. 
Symptoms. Frequent stools, mixed with 
mucus, and sometimes with blood, attended 
with griping and tenesmus, the proper alvine 
excretions being retained; pyrexia, pulse 
quick and feeble. The disease is sometimes 
contagious and epidemic. 
Causes. Dysentery depends upon the 
irritability of w eakness, determined by par- 
ticular circumstances to the alimentary 
canal ; its predisposing and exciting causes 
are alternations ot heat and cold, more espe- 
cially when accompanied by damp, as when 
an army is encamped on marshy ground ; 
the putrid miasma arising from the marshes ; 
the contagious effluvia proceeding from the 
discharge in the disease; and, according to sir 
John Pringle, from dead bodies left unburied 
in the field of battle. 
I he immediate cause of the symptoms 
seems to be, a spasmodic construction of the 
larger intestines, retaining the fames. 
M.M. Calomel, opium, and rhubarb, to 
leiieve the spasm, and discharge the contents 
of the bowels. Mucilaginous clysters, as of 
starch with tincture of opium. Emetics. 
Small doses frequently repeated of ipecacu- 
an. Colombo. Peruvian bark. Wan* 
bathing. 
Class II. Neuroses, Nervous diseases, 
Man is indebted for all his acquisitions t® 
casual observation, leading to experiment. 
That the faculty we call the sentient resided 
in, or was developed through, the instrumen- 
tality' of a peculiar and distinct organization, 
we should not, a priori, have conceived ; there 
is nothing in the composition either of brain 
or nerve to lead to this conjecture. If, how- 
ever, a portion of the bony defence of the 
encephalon be accidentally' pressed in upon 
its substance, and an interruption in the fa- 
culties of sensation and voluntary motion he 
the consequence ; if such accident be repeated 
with the same result ; finally, if it be found, 
as it has been, that by voluntarily producing 
pressure on this organ, similar 'effects may 
be occasioned in proportion to the degree 
and extent of the force employed; the infer- 
