iderable abridgment of the period of the disease;

_b_) Sequelae are less constant;

_c_) The tendency to recurrence is very much diminished;

_d_) A relapse, if it does occur, is comparatively mild.

With regard to _b_ and _c_, let it be understood that I speak within the
restrictions of a period of observation extending over two and a half
years only.

_b_) SUBACUTE RHEUMATISM.

In the subacute variety, the electro-balneological treatment is similar
to that in acute cases, with the difference however, that here not so
much care is necessary with regard to the intensity of the currents.
Muscular contractions, as induced by strong faradic currents, are to be
dreaded in direct proportion to the acuteness of the inflammation,
_resp._ the sensitiveness of the inflamed tissues.

It will be understood, I hope, that the electro-balneological treatment
as laid down above, though it applies to the majority, does not apply to
all cases. Special complications may make it expedient in individual
cases to modify the treatment more or less. The course to be pursued in
these instances may however be safely left to the judgment of the
attending physician.

_c_) CHRONIC RHEUMATISM. In this affection the course to be pursued
varies from that indicated in the acute and subacute varieties. We have
here little or no constitutional disturbance, and need have no fear of
doing any harm by strong currents. On the contrary, I have found that
mild currents rarely do any good. By far the greater majority of the
cases that have come under my observation were of the muscular type, the
algic portion of the symptoms approaching those of neuralgia rather than
subacute rheumatism. Of chronic articular rheumatism I have treated but
very few cases. Although in some of the cases the treatment under
consideration was attended with brilliant results, I freely admit that
in some instances the results were imperfect, in others again entirely
negative. This I found true more especially of cases that involved
tendons. I must add, however, that in perhaps the greater majority of
the unsuccessful cases the fault lay with the patients themselves, who,
finding they were not benefited as rapidly as they had expected,
discontinued treatment before this had had time to effect any thing.

In accordance with a theory which I have formed in regard to the
pathology of chronic rheumatism, and which I am not yet prepared to
promulgate (nor