1806.) 
falutary, do not fo mach aét by their eva- 
cuating as by their ftimulating and ex- 
citing power. 
There are few morbid affeétions that 
can be regarded as ftritly local. They 
are fer the moft part either fimply expref- 
fions of, or in a great meafure modified 
and effentially affe€ted by, the ftate of the 
general conftituticn ; to which, therefore, 
inftead of the organ more efpeciaily and 
obvioufly affe€ted, ought the treatment to 
be vigoroufly and piincipally applied.* 
Tt is one of the charasterific points of 
difference between the empiric and the 
philofophical and ‘honourable phyfician, 
that the obje& of the former is to prevent 
the appearance merely, the latter the ex- 
iftence, of difeale,—or rather the morbid 
tendency in the internal habit to produce 
the external phenomena. Under a tempo- 
rary femblance of cure, the irregular and 
unprincipled praétitioner not unfrequent- 
ly accelerates the death of his patient, or 
transforms his actual difeafe into one pro- 
bably more calamitous and deftructive. 
The Portland powder was juitly noto- 
rious for relieving the gout, but it did fo. 
at the expence, and produced a premature 
deftru€tion, of the vital tamina of the 
conftitution. Paralytic and other afloci- 
ated affeétions were in a large proportion 
of inftances found to fucceed after a thort 
interval to an cftenfible refloration to 
health. 
Combinations of bitters and aromatics, 
of which the Portland-powder principally. 
confitts, are as injurious, although the ufe 
of them is not equally difgraceful with, 
+. 
* The eye, in confequence of its extreme 
irritability, and the exquifite delicacy of its 
{tructure may perhaps be regarded as to a cer- 
tain degree, an exception to this remark. 
State of Public Affairs in fanuary, 1806. 
69 
that of the mifcellaneous modifications of 
alkohol. 
Several cafes of dyfpepfia have recently 
occurred where the patient has complained 
of ble, not knowing that the  bilious 
fymptoms depended, not on a difeafe of 
the liver, buton a morbid condition of the 
fiomach, and of courfe was to be relieved, 
not by mercurial preparations, but prin- 
cipally by tonic medicines, affited by ab- 
fiinence or moderation. 
The ftomach is the metropolis, and all. 
the other parts and provinces of the frame 
are dependent upon the proportion of its 
vigour or decay. 
The moft numerous, and at the fame 
time the moit interefting, cafes that have 
occurred during the late, and every pre= 
ceding period of the Reporter’s private . 
practice, may be comprehended under the 
generally-received denomination of zer- 
vous. ‘This clafs, infinitely diverfified as 
it is in its phyficgnomy and charaéter, de-~ 
mands more attention from the medical 
pragtitioner than any other department of 
the nofology. What to the fuperficial 
appear as fanciful difeafes, are in fact real, 
fubftantial, and without timely care are 
apt, more than any other, to be deeply and 
irrecoverably rocted in the conftitution. 
It is in every cafe; but perhaps in none 
fo much as in this, important and necef= 
fary to annihilate the embryo of difeafe, 
The flighteft nervous affection is a degree 
of infaniiy. Fromthe nafcent ftate, to 
its more full and perfect growth, the pro- 
grefs is fo gracual as fcarcely to be pere 
ceived. The fhade of melancholy flowly 
and folemnly advances over the furface of 
the mind, until at Jength it produces a 
total eclipfe of the underftanding. 
J. Reip. 
Grenville-ftreet, Brunfrvick fquarey 
January 27, 1806. 
STATE or PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 
In January, 1806. 
CONTINENTAL AFFAIRS. 
HE news which we waited for, and 
which we hoped to detail in our 
laft, proved of the moft difaarous nature 
to the caufe of the allies. This indeed 
had been officioufly announced by the 
enemy Jong before our laft report went to 
prefs ; but, relying upon the intelligence 
which had been indufirioufly fpread by 
the agents of the Britith Government, and 
which had been fanétioned by the almoft 
unlimitea credit of minifteys themfelvey 
we fondly, but as it proves, foolifhiy, 
hoped that the battle of the fecond of 
December, or as it is now defignated, the 
Battle of Aufterlitz, would in its confe- 
quences at leaft prove favourable to the 
alied powers. Without remarking upon 
the indecency of thus trifling with tbe 
public faith, we thalt proceed to defcribe 
the events of that battle, as well as thote 
which led to it, and others which have 
been the eonfequence of it. 
On the 27th of November, the Emperor: 
is 5 of 
