quently used by learned writers, are all improper. We may take it for granted here, that the conditions and properties of the nerves, in their natural vital state, (which is so difficult, if not impoffible, to infpect) did not wholly escape the contemplations of this eminent phyfician and profeffor; though perhaps they might afford him but little, fufficiently conclufive, to prefent to his readers.

Towards the end of this curious and inquifitive chapter, Dr. W. acknowledges and exemplifies certain corporal sympathies, which he thinks owing to the vicinity of the parts; and though he refers many of these to the general fympathy obtaining throughout the body, he inftances feveral others, for which he defpairs to account; very juftly concluding, that- the farther we pufh, our enquiries into nature, the more fhall we be convinced of our ignorance, and how small a portion is known of the works of the great CREATOR.'

The fecond chapter treats of nervous and hypochondriac diforders in general. The Author having obferved that the nerves may be difordered, either from a fault in their coats, their medullary fubftance in the brain, or spinal marrow, adds, that, with respect to the fluid they are fuppofed to contain, as we are wholly ignorant of its nature, we can never know when diseases of the nerves arife from a fault in it; though their action must be confiderably affected, whenever it is vitiated. He takes notice of the little benefit that could refult from a long contemplation of thofe faults, in parts, whose fubtilty often makes it impoffible for us to dif cover, either before or after death, the precife caufes of their difeafes; yet he thinks their effects may be reduced to fome change in that fenfibility or motion the nerves communicate throughout the body. This fentient or feeling power of the nerves, he fuppofes, may be either too acute, too obtufe, depraved, or wholly wanting; and through feveral pages he exemplifies the effects of these causes. But here he obferves, that from the very general diftribution of the nerves to every part, and the confequent fenfibility of almost every part of the body, it proves extremely difficult, or perhaps impoffible, to fix a cer tain criterion for distinguishing nervous diseases from all others; fince all diseases may, in fome fenfe, be called nervous affections, the nerves being, more or lefs, affected in all. Nevertheless, he adds here fome very illuftrating inftances to diftinguish what may, or what should not, be called nervous diseases or fymp→ toms; as in the tooth-ach, which is not termed nervous, notwithstanding the fevere pain from the affected nerve of the tooth: though if the violence of the pain occafion convulfions or fainting, thefe fymptoms are juftly termed nervous and to this inftance many others equally clear and diftinguishing are added. What he propofes, however, to confider as nervous diseases, are

fuch,

fuch, he fays, as phyficians commonly term flatulent, fpafmodic, hypochondriac and hyfteric, whatever parts or organs they may affect; concluding (with the celebrated Dr. Mead) of the hypochondriac disease, that it is not confined to any one part, but may be termed a difeafe of the whole body.

Some enfuing pages are employed in a long catalogue of these diforders and symptoms, with their variously fatal confequences, when of a long continuance: after which, he divides the fubjects of nervous diforders into three claffes; confidering the complaints of the first as simply nervous: the fecond, in compliance with cuftom, he terms hysteric, and the laft hypochondriac; tho' he chufes to diffent from thofe learned writers, who fuppofe the two laft to be diftin&t diseases; for which diffent he gives fome availing arguments. The remainder of this chapter is chiefly employed in enumerating what various phyficians have confidered as the causes of this disease, and in fubjoining his opinion, which does not entirely co-incide with any of them.

The third chapter treats of the predifpofing causes of these difeafes; which caufes he refolves into, 1. Too great a delicacy and fenfibility of the whole nervous fyftem; and, 2. An uncommon weakness, or a depraved, or an unnatural feeling in some of the organs of the body. He fuppofes the first may be either natural, or the effect of diseases or irregularities which he fpecifies. Many fucceding pages contain feveral appofite reflections, with which fome illuftrating cafes, and not a few pertinent phyfiological queries, are occafionally interfperfed, on this fubject; the whole being expatiated on and connected, in as clear and pleafing a manner as can be expected. The rationale of the effect of different medicines and applications is alfo difcuffed, in the modeft and diffident ftyle of interrogation.

In entering on the fecond caufe, viz. an exceeding and morbid fenfibility, or unnatural depraved feeling of the nervous system in general, he gives many inftances from his own knowlege, or from different authors, of fome odd and perfonal antipathies to different smells, or fubftances. But he supposes the unnatural state of the ftomach and alimentary canal, to be by much the most frequent cause of the diseases he treats of. And this morbid ftate of the ftomach and bowels he does not suppose to confift folely in their weakness, but chiefly in the uncommon difpofition of their nerves, which have a feeling very different from what is natural. Dr. W. had previously mentioned, with a just and pious admiration, the divine wisdom, in annexing certain very different fenfations and feelings to different organs, which are fo perfectly adapted to those things nature intended to be applied to them. Here he alfo reflects, how much the condition of the ftomach and inteftines will vary in the fame individual at different times, of which he recites fome inftances, fuch as many

may

may have experienced in themselves, or have seen in others. But wherein the various kinds and degrees of the feelings of the cardiac and other nerves confift, we no more know, as he juftly obferves, than we know their peculiar structure, or how they are endued with any fenfation; though we fee manifeft morbid changes effected in different nerves. However, as these predifpofing caufes alone do not very commonly produce the many nervous or hypochondriac diseases and fymptoms, our learned and methodical Author proceeds to his fourth chapter, which treats of those procatarctic, or occafional caufes, that, meeting with the former, effectually bring on this numerous train of complaints and diseases.

Such causes he divides into general and particular, the former being fuppofed to refide in the mafs of fluids; the latter, in fome particular organ: and thefe general caufes are refolved either into,-1. Some morbid matter bred in the blood. 2. The diminution or retention of fome accuffomed evacuation; or, 3. The want of a fufficient quantity of blood, or of blood of a proper denfity. In proof of thefe diftinctions, Dr. W. gives us two curious cafes, from p. 144 to 152: and though he fuppofes this morbid matter may arife, either from bad food; from a fcorbutic or fcrophulous habit; from fevers attended with imperfect crifes, &c. yet as he judges, and we think very rationally, the most frequent taint in the blood affecting the nerves, to be an arthritic matter determined to different parts, he gives two remarkable cafes on this point, from p. 156 to 161. All thefe cafes deferve the young medical Reader's attention; not only for the clear and exact manner in which they are related, but for an ingenuous detail of all the medicines the patient took; and for a particular acknowledgment of thofe, which were of no ufe to them. Our Author having had fuch frequent occafion to mention this arthritic matter in the course of this chapter, and which is certainly not a little active in many cafes that have been termed nervous, fays very rationally of it, p.

173,

Phyficians have widely differed about the nature of that humour, which is the caufe of the gout, fome making it tartareous, or acid; others urinous, or alkaline. But, fenfible how vain all fuch difquifitions are, I fhall not attempt to define the nature of that noxious matter in the blood, fo often the cause of nervous, hypochondriac, and hysteric diforders, farther than as I have already endeavoured to thew, that it is moft commonly of the arthritic kind.'- Indeed there is no reafon to believe, that, whatever is hurtful to the human body, must be either acid or alkaline, or of fome other known fpecies of acrimony;" he having juftly faid of it, p. 168, that the arthritic matter af

I

fecting

fecting the ftomach was too fubtile to be feen, although active enough to destroy.'

Our Author's medical and practical reflections, on nervously morbid effects from the retention of fome accustomed evacuation, are chiefly confined to the discharge through the vessels of the uterus, and the hæmorrhoids: but not without mentioning the ceflation of the difcharges from iffues, fetons, or old fores fuddenly dried up, as producing fimilar effects. What may be thought a little new here, is his afcribing the regular menftrual discharge, en paffant, rather to the particular ftructure of the womb, than to any gradual monthly increase of the quantity of blood, in the female system.

In the fection, on the want of a fufficient quantity, or proper denfity, of the blood, as one general occafional caule of nervous diforders, our Author confiders all immoderate hemorrhages from any part, as often occafioning violent nervous symptonis. This is entirely agreeable to experience; hypochondriac, hysteric and nervous diforders, being generally exafperated by any exceffive discharge, through whatever paffages or excretories. Three or four illuftrating cafes are added in proof of this, and conclude the fourth chapter.

The fifth treats of the particular occafional causes of these diseases, which Dr. W. fuppofes to be, 1. Wind; 2. Tough phlegm; or, 3. Worms; in the ftomach or bowels. 4. Aliments improper in quantity or quality. 5. Schirrhous or other obftructions in the vifcera of the belly: and, 6. Violent affections of the mind. He treats of the confequences of the firft five caufes, and of the rationale of each, in a brief, though phyfiological manner, having fome cafes occafionally interfperfed, and an account of the appearances on diffecting those who died, which was the cafe of a majority. On the article of the paffions he is much more diffuse, and cites many curious inftances of their morbific energy. After affirming the effect of sympathy, of terror, or of a mixture of bath, from his own experience of feeing women feized with hysteric fits at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, by their feeing others attacked with them, he adds an extraordinary inftance of the falutary efficacy of fuperior fear, in curing other convulfion fits, which had been propagated, or catched as it were, by looking on in the poor's houfe at Haarlem, in Dr. Boerhaave's time, as recorded by his nephew, Dr. Kaau Boerhaave. The relation in Latin takes up two pages, but the fubftance of it is, that after the failure of the most celebrated remedies directed by the most eminent phyficians, the famous Dr. Boerhaave ordered all the fervants of the house, and all the children, to be called together; when he declared, that as all medicines and methods had failed, he could think of no other remedy, but that feveral little hand-ftoves,

with

with burning coals in them, fhould be kept ready in the hall; and that fome iron hooks fhould be prepared and shaped in a particular manner: then very gravely and authoritatively commanded, that whatever boy or girl was first taken with a fit, fhould be burnt into the very bone, with one of these red-hot iron hooks, in a particular part of the arm. The effect of this, according to the author from whom it is cited, was, that whoever felt the symptoms of an approaching fit, having their minds terribly impreffed with the notion of being dreadfully burnt, were enabled to fupprefs the invafion of the fit, by the force of a more horrible expectation; so that they are faid to have been all cured.

The defcription of fome fuch nervous convulfive diforder in Zetland, which is propagated in the fame manner, immediately follows this relation. And as this is a truly curious, though fomewhat metaphyfical, mode of contagion, we think our ingeAuthor's reafoning upon it must be agreeable to moft readers, and may satisfy many of them.

We have seen above, that there is a remarkable fympathy, by means of the nerves, between the various parts of the body; and now it appears that there is a ftill more wonderful fympathy between the nervous fyftems of different perfons, whence various motions and morbid fymptoms are often transferred, from one to another, without any corporeal contact or infection.

:

In thefe cafes, the impreffion made upon the mind or fenforium commune, by feeing others in a difordered state, raises, by means of the nerves, fuch motions or changes in certain parts of the body as to produce fimilar affections in them and hence it is, that the fight only of a perfon vomiting has often excited the fame action in others; that fore eyes become sometimes infectious; that yawning is propagated from one perfon through a whole company, and that convulfive disorders are caught by looking on those who are affected with them. Now, although we cannot explain how different impreffions made on the fenforium commune fhould occafion, by means of the nerves, those various changes in the body; yet that the nerves are really capable of producing very fudden changes in the circulation and diftribution of the fluids, when the mind is varioufly affected, we have full proof in that rednefs of the face which accompanies a fense of shame, that increased flux of the faliva which happens to a hungry perfon upon the fight of grateful food, and that plentiful discharge of tears which is fo often produced by piteous objects or tragical ftories.

Thus far we know, from certain experience, that, when the nervous system is extremely delicate, a small impreffion on any of the organs of fenfe will often throw the whole body into diforder. For example, I have known people of weak nerves,

fubject