NERVOUS DISEASES.

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may be taken in a much larger quantity when there is occa-sion.

If wind be the cause of this complaint, the most propermedicines are those called carminatives ; as aniseeds, juniperberries, ginger, cannella alba, cardamum seeds, &c. Thesemay either be chewed or infused in spirits or wine. One ofthe safest medicines of this kind' is the tincture made by in-fusing an ounce of rhubarb, and a quarter of an ounce of thelesser cardamum seeds, in an English pint of brandy. Afterthis has digested for two or three days, it must be strained,and four ounces of white sugar candy added to it. It muststand to digest a second time till the sugar be dissolved. Atable-spoonful of it may be taken constantly for a dose.

I have frequently known the heart-burn cured, especially inpregnant women, by chewing green tea.

CHAPTER XLIII.

NERVOUS DISEASES.

Of all diseases incident to mankind, those of the nervouskind are the most complicated and difficult to cure. A volumewould not be sufficient to point out their various symptoms.They imitate almost every disease, and are seldom alike intwo different persons, or even in the same person at differenttimes. Proteus-like, they are continually changing shape.and upon every fresh attack the patient thinks he feels symp-toms which he never experienced before. Nor do they onlyaffect the body ; the mind likewise suffers, and is often there-by rendered extremely weak and peevish. The low spirits,timorousness, melancholy, and fickleness of temper, whichgenerally attend nervous, disorders, induce many people to be-lieve that they are entirely diseases of the mind ; but thischange of temper is rather a consequence than the cause ofnervous diseases.

Causes. — Every thing that tends to relax or weaken thebody disposes it to nervous diseases, as indolence, excessivevenery, drinking too much tea or other weak watery liquors,

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