bark, has been frequently injurious, as spoken of in
the Materia Medica, Art. IV. 2. 11.

One of my acquaintance, who was much afflicted with the gout, abstained for
about half a year from beer and wine; and not having resolution to persist,
returned to his former habits of potation in less quantity; and observed
that he was then for one winter stronger and freer from the gout than
usual. This however did not long continue, as the disease afterwards
returned with its usual or increased violence. This I think is a
circumstance not unlikely to occur, as opium has a greater effect after its
use has been a while intermitted; and the debility or torpor, which is the
cause of gout, is thus for a few months prevented by the greater
irritability of the system, acquired during the lessened use of fermented
liquor.

For the same reason an ounce of spirituous tincture of guaiacum, or of
bark, is said to have for some time prevented returns of the gout; which
has afterwards, like all other great stimuli when long continued, been
succeeded by greater debility, and destroyed the patient. This seems to
have been exemplified in the case of the ingenious Dr. Bown, see Preface to
his Elementa Medicinae; he found temporary relief from the stimulus of
wine, regardless of its future effects.

16. _Rheumatismus._ Acute rheumatism. There is reason to suspect, that
rheumatic inflammations, like the gouty ones, are not a primary disease;
but that they are the consequence of a translation of morbid action from
one part of the system to another. This idea is countenanced by the
frequent change of place of rheumatic-like gouty inflammations, and from
their attacking two similar parts at the same time, as both ankles and both
wrists, and these attacks being in succession to each other. Whereas it is
not probable that both feet or both hands should at the same time be
equally exposed to any external cause of the disease, as to cold or
moisture; and less so that these should occur in succession. Lastly, from
the inflammatory diathesis in this disease being more difficult to subdue,
and more dangerous in event, than other common inflammations, especially to
pregnant women, and in weak constitutions.

From this idea of the rheumatism being not a primary disease, like the
gout, but a transferred morbid action owing to the previous torpor of some
other part of the system, we perceive why it attacks weak people with
greater pertinacity than strong one