food, and the usual quantity of wine, are again resorted to:
after a time the torpor of the system, and symptoms of indigestion
return, and he again hopes that his friend the gout will come and
cure him.

By a continuance of this plan, the inflammation again appears; but
the system having become more torpid, the inflammatory action is by
no means so great as it was before: if it has power to restore the
equilibrium between the resistance and propelling force, and thus
cure itself, this effect is entirely confined to the inflamed part.
The other foot labouring under similar torpor, or debility, now feels
the effects of the propelling force, and an inflammation takes place
in it, which having cured itself in the same manner, and the torpor
of the foot first affected being returned, or even greater than it
was before, on account of the previous excitement; the inflammation
again attacks this foot, and thus the gout is supposed to emigrate
from one limb to another. The gout, as a disease of general debility,
however, remains the same; and it is only these symptoms, which form
but a small part of the disease, that vary according to
circumstances.

If, during an asthenic inflammation of the lower, or upper
extremities, the torpor and debility of the whole system increase,
then the force of the circulation, or propelling force, being
diminished, the symptoms of inflammation will suddenly disappear; but
as great debility now prevails, the stomach will be apt to be
affected with cramps or convulsions, or an asthenic inflammation of
some internal part will take place: for, though the propelling force
is not sufficient to overdistend the debilitated vessels of the
extremities, it will distend those of the internal parts nearer the
heart, which are now debilitated.

In this case, it has been generally, but absurdly imagined, that the
gout is translated, or recedes from the extremities to some internal
part: the term of retrocedent gout has therefore been applied to
occurrences of this nature. From the explanation which has been
given, it is evident, that this term is improper. The general
debility being increased, the propelling force becomes unable to
produce an inflammation of the extremities, and this is the reason
why it disappears. The disease, however, is not at all altered in its
nature by this variation of symptoms. It is still the same, by
whatever name it may be called.

It sometimes happens, that after full living,