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wing definition of the gout. "Morbus haereditarius, oriens sine causa externa evidente; sed praeeunte plerumque ventriculi affectione insolita; pyrexia; dolor ad articulum, et plerumque pedis pollici, certe pedum et manuum juncturis, potissimum infestus; per intervalla revertens, et saepe cum ventriculi et internarum partium affectionibus alternans." Now, though this definition comprises a tolerably good general character of the disease, it contains some notions, depending on the prejudice of hypothesis, which, on a careful examination, ought not, I think, to be admitted. In the first place, I would deny, that the gout, considered as a diseased state of the system, is hereditary. This may perhaps excite some degree of surprise; and, "I had it from my father," is in the mouth of a great majority of gouty patients. If the diseased state of the system, which occurs in gout, were hereditary, it would necessarily be transmitted from father to son; and no man, whose father had it, could possibly be free from it. There are, however, many instances to the contrary. Our parents undoubtedly give us constitutions similar to their own, and there is no doubt, that if we live in the same manner in which they did, we shall have the same diseases. This, however, by no means proves the disease to be hereditary. We shall hereafter see, that the gout is a disease of indirect debility, brought on by a long continued use of high seasoned food and fermented liquors. There is no doubt that particular constitutions are more liable to be affected by this mode of living than others; and if my father's constitution be such, I, who probably resemble him in constitution, shall in all probability be like him, subject to the gout, provided I live in the same way; this however by no means proves the disease to be hereditary. The sons of the rich, indeed, who succeed to their fathers estate, generally succeed also to his gout, while those who are excluded from the former, are also exempted from the latter, and for very obvious reasons, unless they acquire it by their own merit. So that though the son of a gouty parent may have a constitution predisposing to the gout; that is, more liable to be affected by causes, which produce this disease, still, if he regulate the stimuli to the state of his excitability, he will remain exempt from it. This distinction is of much greater importance than is generally imagined; for if a person firmly b
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