NERVOUS DISEASES.

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Nervous Diseases. (Neuroses.)

Ob all diseases incident to mankind, those of the nervous kindare the most complicated and difficult to cure. A volume wouldnot be sufficient to point out their various appearances. Theyimitate almost every disease ; and are seldom alike in two differentpersons, or even the same person at different times. Proteus-like, they are continually changing shape : and upon every freshattack, the patient thinks he feels symptoms which he never expe-rienced before. Nor do they only affect the body ; the mind like-wise suffers, and is often thereby rendered extremely weak andpeevish. The low spirits, timorousness, malancholy, and fickle-ness of temper, which generally attend nervous disorders, induce•many to believe that they are entirely diseases of the mind ; butthis change of temper is rather a consequence, than the cause ofnervous diseases.

Causes. — Every thing that tends to relax or weaken the body,disposes it to nervous diseases, as indolence, excessive venery,drinking too much tea, or other weak watery liquors warm, fre-quent bleeding, purging, vomiting, &c. Whatever hurts the diges-tion, or prevents the proper assimilation of the food, has likewisethis effect ; as long fasting, excess in eating or drinking, the use ofwindy, crude, or unwholesome aliments, an unfavourable postureof the body, &c.

Nervous disorders often proceed from intense application tostudy. Indeed, few studious persons are entirely free from them.Nor is this at all to be wondered at ; intense thinking no*j onlypreys upon the spirits, but prevents the person from taking properexercise, by which means the digestion is impaired, the nourish-ment prevented, the solids relaxed, and the whole mass of hu-mours vitiated. Grief and disappointment likewise produce thesame effects. I have known more nervous patients who dated thecommencement of their disorders from the loss of a husband, afavourite child, or from some disappointment in life, than fromany other cause. In a word, whatever weakens the body, or de-presses the spirits, may occasion nervous disorders ; as unwhole-some air, want of sleep, great fatigue, disagreeable apprehensions,anxiety, vexation, &c.

Symptoms. — We shall only mention some of the most generalsymptoms of these disorders, as it would be both a useless andimpracticable task to enumerate the whole. They generally beginwitlî windy inflations or distentions of the stomach and intestines;the appetite and digestion are usually bad ; yet sometimes there isan uncommon craving for food, and a quick digestion. The foodoften turns sour on the stomach ; and the patient is troubled withvomiting of clear water, tough phlegm, or a blackish-coloured liquorresembling the grounds of coffee. Excruciating pains are oftenfelt about the navel, attended with a rumbling or murmuring noisein the bowels. The body is sometimes loose, but more commonlybound, which occasions a retention of wind and great uneasiness.

The urine is sometimes in small quantity, and at other time»