1796.) 
feems fo ee diftrelfed at the Gout of ‘his 
family, that I fhould not wonder if he 
caught it fromthem. Every medicine f 
hhave prefcribed, has failed in its operation. 
Indeed; 1 mut confels, that this is one of 
thofe diforders, in which we are not to 
expect a cure from chemicals or Galenicals, 
On the contrary, if we leave nature to 
perform her work, a cure is immediately 
found, for nature fuggefts to the patients, 
from the very firft attack of the difeafe, 
that it can be relieved only by a jaunt to-a 
WATERING PLACE. And hence a very 
expert practitioner in my neighbourhood, 
choofes to call it the Hydro-mania ; but I 
apprehend he is miftaken, for I never 
knew a patient more attached to’ water 
when abroad, than when at home. There 
certainly, however, are fymptoms, which 
indicate a mania of fome kind or other ; 
but fo imperfect is our knowledge of ra 
niacal cafes, that I can derive no informa- 
tion from books. ARNOLD does not 
mention it in his laft edition, although 
probably he may in the next, For Tain I 
am told he is preparing materials. Be- 
fides, I confefs, thar I am not very partial 
to increafing our catalogue of manias. So 
many.things might be brought under this 
title, that a general hiftory of madnets 
would, Iam afraid, be as comprehenfive 
as the Annual Regifter, or any other work 
which profeffed to record the aétions. of 
man; but this is a digreffion. - 
It is peculiar to the diforder I am now 
{peaking of, that the fymptoms of it never 
appear, when the patients are by them- 
felves : the prefence, however, of a ftran- 
ger, or a party of, {trangers, never fails to 
bring on the cough, dyf{pnoea, and other 
concomitants. But above all other occa- 
fions, they are moft exafperated in the 
prefence of the head of the family, whe- 
ther a father, an uncle, or a guardian. 
Wow, as this is as ate a difeate of the 
mind as of the body, it ftrikes me, that 
the paflion ef envy, or jealouly, is ftrong- 
ly excited by the fight of perfons who are 
not affliéted with the diforder, which is 
generally the cafe with fathers, uncles, 
and guardians ; and that the patient, from 
a defire of communicating the difeafe, is 
impelled to throw out thofe mafmata, or 
contagious particles, which will affeét all 
prefent. That this is often done without 
producing the effeét, I well know, but I 
muft fay, that, in general, where the difor- 
der isof long continuance (a month or fix 
weeks, for example) i it feldom fails to im- 
part fuch a degree of its virulence, as to 
affect the father, and then, I obferve, the 
Gure is as good as performed, 
Lhe Dainiphobia, ‘or Dread of Homme. 
‘way into the fuburbs. 
266 
From the few remarks I have thrown 
" out, you will perceive, fir, that although 
we cannot ‘refer this diforder to any ‘clafs 
hitherto mentioned by nofologifts, yet we 
may rank it among exdemics, or thofe dif- 
orders which affeét the inhabitants of a 
certain diftriét. brs is moft prevalent in 
the city of London, and extends a little 
I have met witha 
few cafes of the kind in the borough of 
Southwark ; but the fmall villages near 
town arc, I think, generally pretty free 
from it. As to the Borough, it is rather 
fingular, that fome of the patients, after 
returning from Margate or Brighton, ap- 
parently” pertectly cured, take lodgings 
neverthelefs in a large building in Sr. 
George’s Fields ; whether this confirms the 
cure, oi know not, bur I apprehend” it 
may prevent a relapfe, and I am doubtful 
whether any thing will fo effeétually an- 
fwer this purpofe. The tendency of the 
diforder to return, is one of the worft 
circumftances belonging to it, and fufh- 
ciently convinces me, that there is a radi- 
cal error in. the mode of treatment. Iam 
not afhamed to confefs, that [ have often 
failed. Ws we phyficians are not as free 
in acknowledging our errors, as proud in 
announcing our cures, the medical art, as 
to practical ufefulnefs, mutt ftand fill. 
With refpe&t to the caufes of the Do- 
MIPHOBIA, they may be divided, as in 
the cafe of other diforders, into remote, 
proximate, and occafronal. On thefe I 
fhall not be prolix. [t isa great miftake, 
however, to afcribe this diforder to low 
living, or a poor diet. If that were the 
cafe, the poor would be afilicted by it, 
particularly this feafon. But the fact is, 
it attacks perfons who live well, freely, 
upon a generous diet. Lwceffive indul- 
gence never fails to bring it on, and it is 
remarkable, that thofe who have ONCE in- 
dulged, are fue to have a relapfe the fol- 
lowing year. I fcarce know an inftance 
to the contrary. The mental affeCtions 
are alfo to be taken into the account, and 
I have known cafes where it was brought 
on merely by talking about it ; a wonderful 
proof of the intimate conneétion betwixt 
the mind and the body. That there is an 
affection of the head, cannot well be 
doubted, from its being almoft always at- . 
tended with giddinefs, wanderings, vain 
fears, and fometimes downright raving 
the patient perpetually talking of balls, 
dances, breakfafts, raffics, fuberiptions, and 
other things, which very feldom much oc- 
cupy the attention of perfons of found 
mninds and robuft health. 
I have now, fir, communicated the re~ 
fule 
