HYP 
leaves runcinate, obtufe, rugged; ftem branched, naked, 
even ; peduncles fcaly. Root perennial, the thickneJ's of 
the little finger, running deeply into the earth, generally 
fimple, of a whitifti colour, and milky within. Root-leaves 
ipread on the ground, oblorjg-wedgelhaped, waved or 
toothed, hairy, the hairs fimple, upright, and proceeding 
from little prominent points. Stems often leveral, from 
one to two feet high, nearly upright, naked ; in Head of 
leaves having only fiiort, ovate, pointed, ciliate, fcales at 
the bafe of each branch ; they are very fmooth, glaucous, 
fomewhat ftriated, tough and folid ; the fcales are lanceo¬ 
late, with a few white briftly teeth at the bafe on each 
fide. Flower large, clofing at three in the afternoon. It 
is diftinguilhed from Leontodon autumnale by the length 
of the root, whence it derives the trivial name ; and is 
common on dry banks, heaths, and paftures, flowering 
from May-to September; in the early part of fummer it 
is a confpicuous plant. In barren foils it occurs of a much 
l'maller fize, five or fix inches high, with an unbranched 
Item, or with one flower almoft fertile on the fide. Thefe 
plants are named hawk-weed in Englilh, in common with 
many others: Dr. Withering calls them cads-ears. 
5. Hypochceris minima, or leak hypochceris: leaves 
finuate-lyrate, Item with fcaly appendixes at top. Root 
downright, two or three inches long, annual, fibrous. 
Stem naked, fimple, a palm in height, fmooth. Flower 
fmall, equal; open from eleven in the morning, till two in 
the afternoon. Native of Italy, near Naples, 011 volcanic 
ground, particularly the Solfatara; flowering from May 
to July. See Suriola. 
HYPOCHON'DRES,yi \hypochondre, Fr. ovfyv, Gr.] 
The two regions lying on each fide the cartilago enfifor- 
mis, and tliofeofthe ribs and the tip of the break, which 
have in one the liver, and in the other the fpleen.—The 
blood moving too flowly through the celiac and mefenteric 
arteries, produces various complaints in the lower bowels 
and hypockondres ; from whence fitch perlons are called hy¬ 
pochondriac. Arbuthnot. 
HYPOCHON'DRIAC, or Hypochondriacal, adj. 
[hypochondriaque, Fr. from hypockondres ,] Melancholy.; dif- 
ordered in the imagination.—Socrates laid down his life 
in attekation of that mok fundamental truth, the belief 
of one God; and yet he’s not recorded either as a fool or 
hypochondriac. Decay of Piety. —Producing melancholy ; hav¬ 
ing the nature of melancholy.—Cold fweats are many 
times mortal, and always fufpedfed; as in great fears, and 
hypochondriacal pafllons, being a relaxation or forfaking of 
the fpirits. Bacon. 
HYPOCHON'DRIAC, f. One under the impreflion of 
the hypochondriac difeafe; a perfon fubjeft to fits of mor¬ 
bid melancholy. The kate of mind peculiar to hypo¬ 
chondriacs is thus defcribed by Dr. Cullen. “A languor, 
likleflnefs, or want of refolution and aftivity, with relpedt 
to all undertakings; a difpofition to ferioulnefs, fadnels, 
and timidity; as to all future events, an apprehenfion of 
the work or mok unhappy kate of them ; and, therefore, 
often upon flight grounds an apprehenfion of great evil. 
Such perfons.are particularly attentive to the kate of 
their own health, to every the fmallek change of feeling 
in their bodies, and from any unufual fenfation, perhaps 
of the flighted kind, they apprehend great danger, and 
even death itfelf. In refpedl to thele feelings and fears, 
there is commonly the mok obkinate belief and perfua- 
fion.” He adds, that it is only when the kate of mind 
juk defcribed is joined with indigeition, in either fex, 
fomewhat advanced in years, of a melancholic tempera¬ 
ment, and a firm and rigid habit, that the difeafe takes 
the name of hypochondriac. 
The feat of the hypochondriac paflion is in the komach 
and bowels; for, firk, thefe parts are difordered, then the 
others fuffer from the connection. In this Hoffman 
agrees, by faying the perikaltic motion in the bowels is re¬ 
tarded by fpafms. The caufes are, forrow, fear, or excefs 
of any of the paffions.; too long continued watching and 
HYP 651 
irregular diet. Thofe habitually difpofed to it (and thefe 
caufes have little effeCt in other conkitutions) have gene¬ 
rally a fallow or brown complexion, and a downcak look, 
a rigidity of the lolids, and torpor of the nervous fyftem. 
Whatever may occafion nervous diforders in general 
may be the caufe of this in particular, 
The hypochondriac difeafe is very difficult to cure : it 
rarely occurs early in life, generally in more advanced 
years only ; and, when once it has taken place, it inereafes 
as life advances. Indigeition, accompanied with vapours, 
dikinguifhes the difeafe when the temperament is of this 
peculiar kind. If the difeafe admits of a cure, it is by 
means flow and keady in their operation ; for the whole 
conkitution muk be corrected before any expectation of 
relief can be obtained. In thefe cafes the mind muk be 
cheered by every pleafing profpeft ; by alfurances of a 
cure ; by change of place and objects ; by engaging it in 
any employment which will intereft without fatiguing. 
For thefe purpofes the fafliionable mineral waters may be 
drunk on the fpot, and they fliould be of the mildly ca¬ 
thartic kind, as thofe of Cheltenham, Seltzer, or Tun¬ 
bridge ; but the cathartic waters are, on the whole, pre¬ 
ferable to thofe which contain keel among their impreg¬ 
nations, though this medicine is not particularly injurious. 
If thefe plans cannot be admitted, an active emetic fliould 
be given, and repeated every three or four days ; a fmall. 
bliker applied to the neck ; and the bowels kept freely 
loofe by the pillulse ex aloe cum myrrha, or the tinCfura 
aloes. Dr. Cullen obferves, that in the hypochondrialis 
there is a want of aftivity, not a lol’s of tone, in the fibres, 
but, on the contrary, a rigidity in them ; and he recom¬ 
mends warm bathing; drinking tea and coffee; exercile, 
not merely to excite the activity of the komach, but to 
divert the mind from its del’pondency. 
In managing the minds of hypochondriacs, any intima¬ 
tion that their complaints are imaginary muk be avoided, 
and neither raillery nor reafoning in addreffing them em¬ 
ployed. Their attention fliould be engaged with any ob¬ 
ject but their own feelings; diverted with any employment 
not attended with emotion, anxiety, or fatigue. Diver- 
lion, in which fome Ikill is required ; exercile in the air, 
which requires fome dexterity ; are both to be admitted ; 
riding is better than either walking, failing, or travelling 
in a carriage ; and a dikant journey is the bek. The 
kudy of botany, which combines exercife with employ¬ 
ment, has been highly falutary. Cheerful company con¬ 
duces much to relief; but boillerous mirth, or any exer¬ 
cife, carried fo far as to fatigue, is injurious. A dry warm 
air is almoll univerially proper. 
Various kories are related of the ftrange humours of 
hypochondriacs. The following is ex'trafted from Seward’s 
Anecdotes of Dikinguilhed Perfons. “ Cofmo II. grand 
duke of Tufcany,” fays abbe Arnauld, “ was very hypo¬ 
chondriacal, and was under the direftion of his brother, 
cardinal Giovanni, who, for his own particular interek, 
put it into his head that his health would fuffer extremely 
if he ever kept with his wife, a very beautiful princefs, 
and the heirefs of the illukrious houle of Urbino. Cofmo 
was well acquainted with her merit, and had a great re¬ 
gard for her; yet, apprehenfive of his health, he avoided 
every opportunity of being left alone with her, exhibiting 
a great degree of weaknefs both with refpe.Ct to his love 
and to his health ; but be was indeed a Have to the lah_ 
I have feen him walk up and down his room, in which 
there were two immenfe thermometers, on which his eyes 
were continually fixed, and pull off and put on his night¬ 
caps (of which he had always rive or fix in his hand) ac¬ 
cording to the degree of heat or colu that thofe inkru- 
ments marked. It was a mok ridiculous thing to fee. No 
juggler was ever more adroit in managing his cups and 
balls, than this prince was in handling his night-caps.” 
HY'POCIST, /. [vTrcxioitc, Gr. hypocijle, Fr.] An infpif- 
fated juice, confiderably hard and heavy, and of a fine 
finning black colour.. . 
HYPOCRISY* 
