1

Sympathise.

biliary secretion." The affinity of the complaint," (periodical insanity) says M. Pinel, with melancholia and hypochondriasis, warrants the presumption, that its seat, primarily, is almost always in the epigastric region; and that from this centre are propagated, as it were, by a species of irradiation, the accessions of insanity."

"In some inebriates," says Darwin, "the torpor of the liver produces pain, without schirrus, gall-stones, or eruptions; and in these, epilepsy or insanity is often the consequence." The belief, indeed, is as old as Hippocrates, who remarks" Qui vero a bile insanit vociferator est, et maleficus. Calescit autem præ bile, ubi ad cerebrum impetum fecerit ex corpore per venas hæmatitidas."-De Morbo SaAnd Celsus, enumerating the symptoms of impending diseases, remarks" At si longa tristitia cum longo timore et vigilia est, atra bilis morbus subest."-lib. iii. It was from this idea that hellebore acquired its celebrity.

cro.

"Danda est hellebori multo para maxima insanis.”*

In tracing mental maladies to corporeal sources, we ought not to press too close on the confines of immateriality; nor do I conceive that we have any just grounds to believe, that "mattter, peculiarly arranged, may think."+

• Avaris, Horace says.

+ Haslam on Insanity, p. 240; which, indeed, is copied verbatim from Locke.

Mental and Hepatic Functions, &c.

When the medium through which mind manifests itself, becomes' deranged, the manifestation must also suffer; in which case, there is no necessity to separate the office of thought from the immaterial principle.

Mens agitat molem, et magno se corpore miscet.

Dysentery.

DYSENTERY..

SEC. 7.-IT must have been sufficiently obvious, that, throughout this essay, I have not attempted to exhibit many specimens of erudite research among ancient authors, for their sentiments concerning those diseases which I had occasion to notice. I am by no means anxious that this should be considered a studied neglect, or be ascribed to design rather than ignorance; but I beg to express my humble opinion, that however worthy the ancients may be of perusal, it is not at all necessary that they should be rewritten in modern publications. This, however, is not the opinion of my illustrious predecessor, Dr. Moseley, who, in pure compassion towards the ignorance of army and navy surgeons, has kindly furnished a sort of digest, or compendium of the most interesting circumstances that occurred to him in the course of his reading on the subject, [dysentery] which he flatters himself will be of use to young practitioners in the navy and army, and to residents in the colonies."-4th ed. p. 296. 296..

Far be it from me to filch from the learned doctor the fruits of his recondite labours; but, like the hungry ass passing through the meadow, I have been tempted (God and Dr. Mose

Dysentery.

ley forgive me!) to snatch, en passant, a few mouthfuls of ancient lore from this well-stored granary, attracted by their delicious flavour, and the kind invitation which he has held out to needy authors, “who prosecute their inquiries with the intent to publish them.”—ib. În this respect, I have a double claim on the doctor, since we are " arcades ambo;" both of us having, as he sublimely expresses it, “traversed the Hygeian zodiac:"-would I could add, "with omnipotent skill!”

The first prescription for the cure of dysentery, from the father of physic, has been honoured with two whole pages of comments by Dr. Moseley. It is equally chaste, practicable, and efficacious.

"Impudens scortatio dysenteriæ medetur!"-p. 301.

It has been my lot to see a pretty large number of dysenteric patients, and-me miscrum! to have been one myself, more than twice or thrice: I can vouch for the great inclination which dysenterics evince towards this modest remedy, and their great ability to practise it.

The glyster of Diascorides ought to be emblazoned in letters of gold, for its elegant simplicity. Had not Dr. Moseley quarreled with the College of Physicians, about Cow-pox, it certainly would have had a place in the Pharmacopoeia. It is to be used where there are "eating ulcers," and is nothing more than"fish pickle, or old urine."-p. 308.

Galen's glysters, in this complaint, were more variegated. They consisted of such ingredients

Dysentery.

as the following, viz. arsenic-burnt paper— brine-lime," &c.-p. 310. These formule prove the degeneracy of the moderns: few dysenteric patients of the present day, with "eating ulcers" in the rectum, would be found with sufficient fortitude to bear these ancient « lavemens," even if they were administered with all the skill and adroitness of a French adept.

The abdominal cataplasm of Marcellinus Empiricus, however easily procured by our colonists, would seldom be at hand among our naval practitioners. He advises" puppies, frogs, and ducks, to be applied to the belly, which, he says, will draw out the disease, and they will be killed by it, but the patient will be cured.” -p. 315. These would be cheap remedies in China, where the puppies and ducks might afterwards be hashed up for the lower class of natives, who would make no inquiries respecting their death. The same author recommends "bat's blood" as a liniment to the abdomen externally, and "human urine" to be taken internally! Of the latter remedy there is certainly no scarcity; for, as Macbeth's physician says,

"The patient might' minister unto himself."

But Heaven protect the poor bats, if this bloody liniment should ever come into vogue! for, if I recollect right, it has been ascertained by naturalists, that of all quadrupeds (among which the bat has at last got a footing), this animal is the most scantily supplied with the fluid in question, in proportion to his size. "Powdered glass"