taste and appetite after conftant loathings; of air and exercife, after tadious connnement; of the fight and enjoyment of friends, after a ftate of ftupidity, or frenzy: thefe are fo many inlets of new perceptions of pleasure, to be fet against the exceptionable parts of the fcenes we have gone through; but of pleasure, which owes its origin and force, to antecedent misfortunes. In a word, we enjoy bleffings better, after having known the want of them: and we are apt to lose the relifh of them as fuch, when they become the conftant companions of our lives. And in this fenfe probably it is, Hortenfus, that health, for want of change, was boldly filed difeafe.'

The medical ufes of the paffions are thus pointed out:

CL. The paffions, Hortenfius, were indifputably given us for our prefent as well as future advantage. They require fome kind of management, as what does not, that is capable of doing harm as well as good? a certain degree of wind carries the mariner briskly, yet fafely on in the fame manner a proper proportion of warmth in our temper animates to zeal and perfeverance in things commendable; while a ftorm endangers or overfets the veffel. 'Tis not the brifknefs with which we fail on the fea of life, but our touching at improper ports, that ruins us.

ARISTUS. This is no new doctrine with respect to the mental part of us but I am at a lofs to know how you make a brisk exertion of the paffions fubfervient to the body's advantage? I thought health had confifted in keeping them very tame. You would not bring fire and faggot to put out a fever?

CL. No-but to kindle one I might. You are to know that phyficians in fome cafes ftand in great need of fuch a commotion of blood, as is understood by that term, and yet cannot always obtain it. I am almoft inclined to give you a pleafant hiftory of this fort, on which I fhould be glad of Hortenfius's remarks.

HORT. But if I don't understand the fubje&t?

CL. We fhall fee that prefently.-A reporter of strange events informs us that the emperor Palæologus the fecond of the name, was fick, and kept his bed a twelvemonth together, of a difeafe that his phyficians could fcarce find a name for, and much less medicines to cure; but when all defpaired of his recovery, an old woman told the emprefs, that if he made it her business to vex and anger the emperor to purpofe, and would purfue that method continually, it would reftore him to his former health. That fex (fays the fcandalous hiftorian,) being generally provided with fuch a remedy, the empress applied it immediately, and to that degree, as to fuffer nothing to be done which he commanded; but fo croffed and vexed him in every thing, that the torment fhe continually gave him, at length forced him into a fweat, by which means the natural heat being stirred up, and augmented by ill-ufage, it perfectly diffipated and difcharged the offending humours that occafioned his fickness, and the emperor was perfectly recovered, furvived this diftemper twenty years, and continued in health till he was fixty. What think you of this, Hortenfius ?

HORT. That 'tis a hiftory of the Author's own invention, calculated only for the trite purpose of calumniating the fair sex, who deferve not fuch ungenerous treatment.

• CL.

CL. I fee you do understand the fubject, becaufe you fire at a proper time and in a proper manner in the fex's defence.

HORT. I am afraid a little of the latest though, to revenge myself on the author of your tale.

CL. Whatever becomes of the tale, the affertion is extremely true, that unaccountable cures have been performed, by the effects of fright, fear and fury, whether accidentally or defignedly excited.. The gout has not only been inftantly removed by the paflions of fear and furprize, but eradicated for life; and paralytic lamenefs and contractions, have been fuccceded by freedom of motion, in confequence of violent and outrageous paffion; at leaft if we may give credit to hiftories that are very well attefted.

HORT. Why this is charming-pain, poverty, labour, sickness— all trifles! Pafiion, the furor brevis of former moralifts, falutary and commendable!

CL. A comfortable inftance at leaft among many, that Providence is ever watching to bring good out of evil, for the more extenfive happiness of the creation.

But view it in a medical light, and there is nothing in it contradictory to our best founded notions of the human ftructure. Think only of the fluids drove back as it were from the circumference to the centre of the body, by a fudden fright, and as inftantly drove out again, by the neceflity of as fudden and impetuous a refolution. What a fhock muft the body thus fuftain between fuch contradictory motions and what can be effected fimilar to this by the power of any known medicine? efpecially if we confider, that fome things which might promise to bring about great revolutions in our fystem, throw the ftomach generally into fuch diforder, as to prevent the experiment from being brought to a conclufion: or elfe they are fo weakened by the compafs they are forced to take, as to arrive at the place of their deftination with too little force to conquer, or even to attack the enemy.'

For a farther idea of this Writer, we refer to our account of his Inquiry into the Structure of the Human Body: fee Review, vol. xxxi. p. 334.

D.

An Account and Method of Cure of the Bronchocele, or Derby Neck. To which are fubjoined, Remarks on Mr. Alexander's Experimental Elays. By Thomas Proffer. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Owen. 1769. AR. Proffer, after giving a fomewhat confufed account of what Celfus, Albucafis, Freind, Heifter, and others, have written on the Bronchocele, delivers the following history of the disease:

MR

The Bronchocele, or Derby-neck, is a tumor arifing on the fore-part of the neck. It generally firft appears fometime betwixt the age of eight and twelve years, and continues gradually to encrease for three, four, or five years; and often the laft half-year of this time, it grows more than it had for a year or two before. It generally occupies the whole front of the neck, as the whole thyroid gland is here generally enlarged, but

A a 4

it

it does not rife to near fo high as the ears, as in the cafes Wifeman fpeaks of, but is rather in a pendulous form, not unlike, as Albucafis fays, the flap or dew cap of a turkey cock's neck, the bottom being generally the bigger part of the tumor, and going gradually lefs upwards. It is foft, or rather flabby to the touch, and moveable; but when it has continued fome years after the time of its growing, it gets more firm and confined.

By the fituation and nature of the complaint, it occafions a difficult breathing, and very much fo upon the patient's taking cold, or attempting to run or walk faft. In fome, the tumor is fo large, and fo much affects their breathing, as to occafion a loud wheezing. It very rarely happens to boys, indeed I have never been able to make out one inftance of it, in a man or boy.

It is very common in many counties in England, Derbyfhire especially, where from its frequency it has the name of Derby-neck, and fome other countries are almoft free from it. I have been informed by a gentleman of the faculty, from Duffield in Derbyshire, that there were near fifty poor girls afflicted with it in that fmall village.'

Without inquiring into the nature or cause of this disease, our Author next proceeds to the method of cure:

Having given, I think, fuch a defcription of the natural or curable Bronchocele, as will enable any one to know it from other complaints fomething like it, I proceed to the cure, which when the difeafe exactly anfwers the defcription I have given of it, and its continuance has not been too long, I think I may fay will very rarely fail.

I have known feveral completely cured at very near the age of twenty-five years, which was more than twelve years after the first appearance of the tumor of the neck; but yet at that age, I believe the cure is uncertain, and beyond it, though but a very few years, more doubtful.

I have tried the remedy on feveral, at the age of feven or eight and twenty, but never with fuccefs, though it may, I believe, happen fo, if the tumor appears not very firm and confined, but rather flaccid and yielding.

Many no doubt lead miferable lives, under the almost intolerable torments of fome tedious perplexing diforders, fuch as the nervous kind, for want of pursuing long enough, let the remedies applied be ever fo proper and likely, for them to receive confiderable benefit. It is fuppofed no one can object against the medicines prepared here for their cure, on account of time, or other obfervations neceffary in their ufe, when they are informed a month or fix weeks at fartheft, is the longest time, and no confinement, or hardly any other reftraint from the usual way of living, is required.

Let one of the following powders be taken early in the morning an hour or two before breakfast, and at five or fix o'clock in the aftornoon, every day for a fortnight or three weeks. The powder may be taken in a little fugar and water, or mixed with a little fyrup, or any thing, fo that none is loft: R. Cinnab. Antimon. opt. levigat. j.

Milleped. pp. & pulv.

Spong. calcin. ãã gr. xv. m. f. pulv.

After these powders have been taken for the time mentioned, the patient fhould omit them for about a fortnight, and then begin with them again, and take as many more after the fame manner, and alfo at bed time every night during the fecond course of the powders, three of the following pills are to be

taken :

R. Pil. Mercurial. ph. nov. 3fs

f. Pil. n°. 48. æquales.

These medicines generally agree fo well, that the patient is neither troubled with fickness nor any inconvenience from their ufe, nor is any confinement neceffary, unless they are taken in fevere weather, and then it may be only to the houfe; nor need the diet be much regarded. Indeed I think it fufficient, that the medicines be taken in a temperate season, or rather warm weather, and the patient lives exactly in the ufual way, taking fome care against catching cold. And if meat be eaten only every other day, and toast and river water, &c. drank instead of malt-liquor, it will not be the worfe; nor can the medecines ever fucceed better than I have known them several times, when there was no difference at all made in the way of living. If the pills purge, two only should be taken, and if more than an extraordinary ftool a day is occafioned by them, the dofe must be reduced to one, and continued fo till the pills are all taken. In general it will be proper for the patient to be purged twice or thrice with manna and falts, or any gentle cathartic, before the powders are begun with. The medicines are here proportioned for an adult, of a good conftitution, therefore if the patient is younger, or of a weakly habit, the doses must be managed accordingly.

The patient is not to expect to find much benefit in a little time: perhaps it will be as long after the medicines are all taken, as the time they are in taking, before much difference will be perceived in the tumor of the neck. It is neceffary that the medicines be begun with at a proper time, efpecially the second courfe; a few days fhould always be difpenfed with upon that

account.

As to external application, I have never made ufe of any, nor would I advise the use of any, as I think none can be of much fervice, Many recommended I should fufpect of doing

harm,

harm, fuch as fomenting the part with warm vinegar; which by its hardening the gland, though it may fomewhat leffen it, would render it more difficult, if not incapable of being quite reduced to its proper ftate. But if any local application be made, I believe none better than rubbing the part every morning with fafting fpittle; and dry friction, I fhould expect, would do as well, as the good, if any is produced by this means, arifes wholly from the friction and preffure upon the gland.

I have been informed by a gentleman, whofe information I think I may depend upon, that a relation of his, a young man of about twenty-five years of age, was cured of a tumor on the fore part of the neck, by his chewing tobacco. If it was fo, and the chewing tobacco would cure the Bronchocele, I think if another remedy be known, that should never be used, as thereby young women might get fuch a habit of quidding, as they could never leave off.

Tumors of the neck are faid to be very common in many parts of Italy, about the Alps efpecially, (as quis tumidum Guttur miratur in Alpibus) is a very old remark. About Turin also they are faid to be frequent, and in many other places of that country, particularly near the rivers Po, and Doria; but how far they agree with the tumor of the neck, I have given an account of, as to the time of their appearing, and that of their encreafing, &c. I have not been able to make myfelf acquainted with, therefore I have called the difcafe here treated of the Engtish Bronchocele.'

We think the public indebted to Mr. Proffer for this communication. The mercurial pill indeed feems to be the most efficacious part of the procefs: for the fpongia calcinata has long been in ufe; and the antimonials have likewife frequently been prefcribed, without producing the fame good effects. If we miftake not, fome of the practical writers have directed the mercurial ointment to be repeatedly rubbed upon the diseased part, and a purgative to be occafionally interpofed.

From Mr. P.'s Remarks on the Experimental Effays of Mr. Alexander, we collect the following particulars :-that the putrifactive procefs in the dead and in the living animal, are widely different. Thofe fubftances which refift putrifaction in the dead, do not therefore neceffarily produce the fame effect in the living body; and that nitre, fo ftrongly recommended by Mr. Alexander as an antifeptic, would promote rather than refift this procefs in the living body, by ftill further weakening the powers of the circulation.

With respect to Mr. Alexander's Effay on the Dofes and Effects of Medicines, our Author fays,- Unluckily, I think, Mr. Alexander has made the fame mistake in his effays on the dofes and effects of medicines he made in his experiments on the ufe

of