PULMONARY CONSUMPTION.

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------ Making a sudden transition from a hot to a very cold cli-mate, change of apparel, or whatever greatly lessons the perspi-ration.

------ Frequent and excessive dehaucheries. Late watching, and

drinking strong liquors, which generally go together, can hardlyfail to destroy the lungs. Hence the bon companion generallv fallsa sacrifice to this disease.

------- Infection. Consumptions are likewise caught by sleeping

with the diseased ; for which reason this should he carefully avoid-ed. It cannot he of great benefit to the sick, and must hurt thosein health.

------ Occupations in life. Those artificers who sit much, and

are constantly leaning forward, or pressing upon the stomach andbreast, as cutlers, taylors, shoemakers, sempstresses, &c. oftendie of consumptions. They likewise prove fatal to singers, andall who have occasion to make frequent and violent exertions ofthe lungs.

------ Cold. More consumptive patients date the beginning of

their disorders from wet feet, damp beds, night air, wet clothes,m catching cold after the body has been heated, than from allother causes.

Sharp, saline, and aromatic aliments, which heat and inflamethe blood, are likewise frequently the cause of consumptions.

We shall only add, that this disease is often owing to an hered-itary taint, or a scrophulous habit ; in which case it is generallyincurable.

Symptoms. — This disease generally begins with a dry cough,which often continues for some months. If a disposition to vomitafter eating be excited by it, there is still greater reason to fear anapproaching consumption. The patient complains of a more thanusual degree of heat, a pain and oppression of the breast, especially after motion ; his spittle is of a saltish taste, and sometimesmixed with blood. He is apt to be sad ; his appetite is bad, and 1his thirst great. There is generally a quick, soft, small pulse ;though sometimes the pulse is pretty full, and rather hard. Theseare the common symptoms of a beginning consumption.

Afterwards the patient begins to spit a greenish white, or bloodymatter. His body is extenuated by the hectic fever and colliqua-tive sweats, which mutually succeed one another, viz. the one to-wards night, and the other in the morning. A looseness, and an.excessive discharge of urine, are often troublesome symptoms atthis time, and greatly weaken the patient. There is a burningheat in the palms of the hands, and the face generally flushes aftereating ; the fingers become remarkably small, the nails are bentinwards, and the hairs fall off".

At last the swelling of the feet and legs, the total loss of strength,the sinking of the eyes, the difficulty of swallowing, and the cold-ness of the extremities, show the immediate approach of death,which, however, the patient seldom believes to be so near. Suchis the usual progress of this fatal disease, which, if not early check-ed, commonly sets all medicine at defiance.

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