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blecding: hence nlclancholy is a fymptonl very rrequcnt–
ly attcn,:ing l1 yllaic and hypochonclnac diforders.
Tbe c<tu!es wluch contrihute ID lhe gcner:uion of a
thick bloon, are ¡dlenefs and inaétivity, whtch weakcn lhe
bod y. imp,úr lhe (unétions, dimindh lhe f,dutary excre·
t ions. aoel render lhe humours thick, vifcid , and " ag.
ní\nt : AII which are hcightened by folitudc, which is apt
l O give rde lO various fant aUic and gloomy ideas in lhe
r aticnt 's mind .
L,kewife acid humours in lhe fiomach wiJl ¡ncreafe lhe
::I.ppetite. and tempt thcm la fecd on coarre. gro!!, fla–
tul l ot alim~nts . without drinking enough to ddute lhem
fuAi rently, whence a matler propt.r to noulifh theCe
dih:af..:s wdl proceed. lt is cvident (rom obrcrvtluun,
t~lat lhe blood of maniac palienls is bll'lck . and hotter
than in che nAlura) (l:ue ; belide5, the fcrum fep:uate5
more nowly and in lefs q ut\ntity th¡¡ n in heahhy perfon'.
The excremen\! are hard, of a dtu k ·red or grey¡rh co·
lour, and the urine is I1ghl and thin.
D"~I<s or lhe mind have fomething in them fo dif·
fercm from olhcr diforders, that lhey .rometim~s remil
tor a long time. but return at certain period .., efpeclally
about lhe {olrlice5. the times at which they firfi appearen.
lt m~ y ilkew.i{e be o',rerved, th:u che fél ving filS of mad
people, wh ,ch keep che lunar period, are generaJly ac·
companied with epdt'ptie fymploms.
T his di feafe, \\'hl!n it is primary or idiophatic. is \Vorfe
than the {ym(ltom:uic tha! accompanies the hyCleric or
h ypochondria.c paffion, which is e,,(jly cured : as is Ih;¡t
alfo which fuccecds inlermitting fevers. a fuppreffion of
the mentes, the:: lochia , lhe hremorrhoids . or from n¡reo–
tics. When lhe pa:oxyrms ;¡re Oigh t in che idiophatic
kind, lhe cure is not very dlffi cult : but if it is ,
and has bU[ fhnrt rcmiffion5. it is almort incurable ; which
is ofie n owiog tO this, that lhey rejed phy(j~ians and their
medicines as poifon. Ir is a bCld lign if, after a profouud
fleep, the prltient fiill continl1es delirious, and is io{en
lible of cold. or is unaffdted with f1 rong draflic medio
cine. . Ir a(ler wanl of /leep and long abllinence lhe pa·
tient is excccding weak, or becomes.('pileptic, convul(jve,
or let httr&i~ , death is noe far off. rvlad people a,re fel·
dom fu bjc8 to epídemic or other diforders. and fome have
lived fe venly yea " and upwards in lhis unhappy flate.
Somr:times this d¡reaCe termioales by critical excre·
tions of blood from lhe nofe, uterus, or aous, Some–
ti111(,5 di.t.rrhre15 ano dyreoteries will lerminale ther~ dif·
olders . PuHules, tht: ilC~ , and ulce rs, have alCo done
thr: Came.
In the 'cure, bleeding is the mon effic:lcious of all
remedies ; 2nd whcre there is a redundance of thick,
grumou~ blooo, a veio is fir(l 10 be opened io lhe foot.
~nd;t few J ays afler in lhe arm; lhen in lhe jl1J!ulttrvein,
or in lhe nonri ls with a (lraw; ano, Jan of all , lhe
fl ot\l~ 1 "cí o \Vilh a hlunt lancet. fo r fear c!f'f hun ing lhe
Pl rina niuOl a I;gaturc having been firn made round lhe
ncck te render lhc veins tu mido
l "cpid " are airo convenient. to drivc lhe blood
(ro01 lhe hcad to lllc inferior pans; "nd before lhe pa–
tient enters the haeh he (hould have cold w;u er pourcd on
his h~ad, or it fllould be covercd wit h a clOlh dipc lh('re–
iD; ror culd water pumped or pOUIt d OD the bead coo-
e N E.
fl rioges and corroborates the velfels of thebrain weakened
Wilh blood, . nd promoles lhe more eary dircuflioo
of lhe humours congdh:d thc.::rein .
P urgarivcs are hkt:wile u(eful ; but the lenient are
preferable tO the d ra!lic : Thus manna, c¡¡(Jiot. rhubarb,
cream of tartar, tanar~vitriolJ,teJ are motl cooveoient
when lhe d,reare ari fes (rom the hypochoodnac paffioo,
and a (ldgn.ttlOo of (he blood in the intefilne5J and the
ramiric"'l1ons uf lh ( V:!IIQ p orl:r .. efpecially when they are
takt::n 10 decot tious and infu(jons, nOl all .-t ance, bUI at
repealcd iOllt1V<1Js. lo as lO opc:r:itLle io an aherative maooer.
Some klods uf mlOer·al w dle , S are airo highly effica..
cious in mcJ.fOcholy and moldo_fs j for fince madnels ge–
nerally derives ItS oogln ffom the melaocholy, anc;t me·
lancholy ffilm the hypochondfl,.c pallion, ..nd the hypo ..
chondriac pAlfion from inlpurc aud pecc3m Ouids llvwly
ci, culating . h rou ~h rhe loreltines "nd viCeera of lhe
abdumen Ihe l:lfcul... uOtl of the bloód ought to be rendered
free and c:"fy 11 IS o wonder therefore th al mineral
waters hAve Cleen hcld in hlgh dteem for lhe cure ofthefe
d.ford<rs ror Ihd e Impregnaled Wilh a hlghly
pure alkaline lnd llt::ut ral mmeral f".alt, if they are drdok
in a dlH! q U.llltlly. Ihey not ooly change the peccant
humours. but incide fu~h as are thick, reodc:r the glutio-
6 0. Ouid. and open lhe obllruébons uf the 'Veffds; they
alfo Itlax the teure 6bres of the fohds , and corrobora te
the weak anJ tender, as well as, by (bmulating che
emunéh n c s, lht'y rt' (lore all [he faJutttry excr etions.
The waters of Sdlers mixcd with a(fes or goats milk htlvc
nOI equ. 1 in lhere cafes. They Ihould be drook io
lhe fpring and (.11 ror five or fix weeks. The prOpUrliOD
is one p...rt milk tO three of water,
BUI, after all , there is nOlhing better tO remove the
caufe of [hefe diforders lhan depurated nitre, but efpecial:y
io tlJal fpecies of mcidnefs which inclines 10 melt\ncholy ;
for it correds lhe bilious acrimony of lhe humour5.
allays lhe tumuhuous motions of the folids . by diminilb·
¡og the preternatnral heat . Sennertus and Riverius afl\rm.
th~t nitre, given Wilh a linle camphor, is a fp~dic in
maoners.
P articulJf medicines among vegetables a)"e, balm, be·
tony, vc.:rvain. brook lime, {age, \Vormwood, flowers of
St J ohn's \Von, of rhe lime- tree a-nd camphor: from
animaJs. alTes bJood dried : among mmeral5, {leel, cin–
n¡¡~ar: fugar oflead, ano the calx and linéture of(jlver.
C . mphor is much praircd by the moderos, plllicuJarly
by E ' mullcr .
A nd I)r F'riewald . fIirms, lhal Wilh a few dofes or canr–
phor. of xvj grainseach in pills, he has cured fcveral mado
patlents even in inveterare ca.r~s.
S ..hl recommends a powder ohhe rollowing cephalic
and n('rvine hcrhs ' vcrvain, rage, b: tOny, Wilb plainlaiD'
anO while:: maidenhítir.
As to diet, lhe patient Olould careflll1y ab(hio from
r., h and fmoak-dried At:I'h. whether be::l!f or pork ; froro
rh r ll fi O, ; frClo) fi OI of il heolvy ann O()XIOUS <¡ uality ; from
OIIIIn:_nrs prl!pared Wilh onioos and garlick. ~II whicb.
gencr.u e a lhick blol d. In general, he (hould eat no
Ilt('lre lh:m is ncccA',1fY 10 fUDpon nature. SnlJlI-beer or
['ure cold "'3t<r are the .,dl J rink. S weel and Ilrnng
Wo lncsarl hiShly r rf'juJidal ; as ¡s aJCo excdli ve fnloak1og:
tobaceo,