rmerly described, as it depends upon a
debilitated or relaxed state of the parts, instead of too great a
degree of excitement. This instance shows strongly the fallacy of
symptoms; but it may be readily distinguished from the inflammatory
rheumatism, by attention to the effects of the exciting causes. The
inflammatory rheumatism is aggravated by heat, hence it is more
violent in bed than at any other time. The latter complaint, however,
is greatly relieved by heat: the warm bath alleviates all the
symptoms; so does a warm bed. It is evident that these diseases,
though attended by the same symptoms, are as opposite, and require as
different modes of treatment as an inflammation of the brain, and a
dropsy. The inflammatory state has been called the acute rheumatism,
and the other, the chronic rheumatism; I would, however, prefer the
terms sthenic and asthenic rheumatism.

In the same manner, there is a catarrh, which is liable to afflict
persons who have often been subject to an inflammatory cold,
particularly persons advanced in years; and this depends on a state
of indirect debility of the parts, the excitability of which has been
exhausted by frequent and violent inflammatory affections. This
complaint, which I would call asthenic catarrh, requires directly
opposite treatment from the inflammatory or sthenic catarrh. The
latter is aggravated by heat, but relieved by a cool temperature.
Warm air is peculiarly grateful to those who are afflicted with the
former, and if they go into a cool temperature, they are immediately
seized with cough, and expectoration; for the disease being a disease
of debility, the withdrawing the stimulus of heat, must increase it.
The excitability of the parts is so far exhausted, that it requires a
stimulus even more than natural to keep them in tone: hence persons
labouring under asthenic catarrh, and some species of asthma, which
are only varieties of this disease, find themselves best when exposed
to a warm temperature, but on the heat being diminished, and
consequently the parts relaxed, the cough and difficulty of breathing
immediately come on.

Having examined the effect of heat, in producing inflammatory or
sthenic disease, I now proceed to the consideration of the other
powers. Of the articles of diet, the only food in danger of being too
stimulant, is perhaps flesh or land animal food, used in too great
quantity, particularly when seasoned, a preparation which adds much
to its sti