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It would afford little edification or amufement to the generality of our Readers to enter into the particulars of the debate about Archbishop Wake; those who think the difpute of im-portance muft have recourfe to Dr. Maclaine's narrative, the letters annexed to it, and our Authors remarks upon them.

Of the many crimes charged upon the author of the Confeffional, that of high-treafon against Archbishop Wake appearing to have made the moft general impreffion, and to have occafioned the loudest clamour, I was willing, fays he, for my own fatisfaction, as well as in juftice to an injured author, to examine it to the bottom, for which a fairer occafion could not be offered (unless the whole correfpondence had been publifhed) than the publication of these authentic copies, in the learned Dr. Maclaine's Supplement to his tranflation of Dr. Mofheim's Ecclefiaftical Hiftory.

The room this examination has taken up obliges me to apologize to the Letter-writer for poftponing for the prefent my remarks on the remaining part of his first letter; affuring him however that, at a proper time, he fhall not be forgot.

The fame confideration must be my excufe for omitting, at this time, fome remarks which have occurred in running over the respectable Dr. Maclaine's fecond appendix in this Supplement. A future occafion will be taken to pay a proper regard to it. The fubject is interefting and curious, and may be debated with lefs regret than a queftion, the elucidation of which is perpetually exhibiting fo many ftriking and mortifying inftances of the weakness and wavering of fo great a man (in other refpects) as Archbishop Wake. But (to borrow Dr. Maclaine's Motto) Magis amica veritas. Where the interests of the proteftant religion are concerned, the writer of these papers hath learned from St. Paul, Ουδένα ειδεναι κατα σαρκα.

By way of cloting the fubject, I would humbly recommend it to Dr. Maclaine, with all due deference to his own fagacity, to be extremely cautious how he takes the characters of the great churchmen of this country, whether living or dead, from clergymen of a certain ftamp, however learned or worthy in other matters. Most men are apt to be warped either by their own early prejudices, or by interefting connexions in their commerce with the world, but more particularly in the ftate of afpirants."

In a fhort poftfcript to his Remarks, he apologizes for the author of the Confeffional's dwelling fo much upon bye-matters. -It should be confidered, he fays, that many fruitless attempts having been made to induce the governors in church and state to review our public forms of doctrine, difcipline, and worship, in order to fuch corrections as might feem more confonant to the original principles of the proteftant reformation; it became quite

neceffary,

neceffary, upon any new effort of the fame tendency, to fhew what iniquitous measures had formerly been made use of, to ftifle all approaches towards a farther reform, and to expose the duplicity of the ftiflers, when their conduct came to be compared with their profeffions; and to remind those whom it may concern of the impropriety of following these wretched examples, at a period when we value ourselves on the encouragement given to freedom of examination, and when learned, judicious, and ingenuous men, of all ranks and denominations, appear to be heartily ashamed of the illiberal and selfish confiderations, which influenced their narrow-minded predeceffors to adhere with obftinacy to fo many unedifying restraints upon Chriftian liberty.

To counteract the impreffions, continues he, that fo plain a ftate of this affecting cafe might make upon the readers of the Confeffional, and to obviate the inferences that every man of common sense would naturally draw from it, arofe the Letterwriter and fome others of the like complexion, partly to defend, and partly to palliate, the perfecutions of the Whitgifts and Bancrofts, and even of the Lauds and the Sheldons of former times; and, by afcribing to Diffenters in every period of our history the worst principles, and the worst defigns, to terrify the prefent generation from the remoteft endeavours to depart an hair's breadth from the prefent establishment.

And here begins my apology. It is true, these partial whitewafhings on the one hand, and malevolent fuggeftions on the other, are nothing to the purpose, when fet befide the principles on which it is reasonable to folicit a reformation. But greatly to the purpose with those who measure orthodoxy and herefy merely by established forms. And through all the canting pretenfions of the Letter-writer to moderation and charity, it is eafy to perceive his purpose is to hold up the authority of human establishments, as the fole standard of public judgment in matters of religion.'

To expose therefore the futility, the fophiftry, the mifreprefentation, the hypocrify, and falfehood of fuch writers, must open a way, we are told, to an effectual removal of our ecclefiaftical improprieties and incumbrances, which muft ever remain where they are, and as they are, while the prejudices against reformation, instilled into the public mind by fuch folemn dictators as our Letter-writer, are fuffered to take their course without oppofition. Fór who, our Author afks, that is perfuaded by fuch accounts as the Letter-writer gives, that a reformation in our church-establishment was never propofed, but either by her falfe friends, or her declared enemies; nor even obftructed but by the wifeft and most upright of mankind; will be at the pains to ftudy the controverfy for a fort of fatisfaction which they can come at with so much less trouble and expence of thought?

M 4

A Treatise

A Treatise on the Caufe and Cure of the Gout. By John Caverhill, M. D. Member of the Royal College of Phyficians. F. R. S. 8vo. 4 s. fewed. Nourfe, &c. 1769.

DR

R. Caverhill's doctrine of the gout, is briefly this: that it is a difeafe of the folids; that its remote caufe, is a cohefion of the fides of the fmall arteries, by which they are entirely clofed; that every thing whith tends to restore these arteries to their originally permeable state, may be confidered as the proximate caufe; that this tendency is always the effect of relaxation; and that an hereditary as well as an acquired gout arifes from this caufe, viz. a relaxation of the folids.

• Cohesions of arteries will happen, fays our Author, fooner or later, in proportion to the violence of the motions of the joints; and arteries in other parts of the body may be liable to the fame accident. It is, however, evident, that they cannot fo readily cohere in the foft parts; for moisture, being generally collected in the indolent and fofter parts of the body, is unfavourable to cohefion; but the joints being in conftant motion, the moisture is by this means forced out of the cells which cover them; fo that their integuments are more compact and firm than those of the intermediate parts. Whenever the motion which produced this firmnefs is difcontinued, it will be fo far from being likely to increase, that the joints will not even be capable of preferving the folidity they had already acquired; for whenever exercife gives way to an indolent inactive life, and this is continued for a certain number of years, the folids of the body will relax, and the fluids be retained in greater quantity than would have happened had no fuch change taken place. This relaxation will be more prevalent and quick, if luxurious diet be joined with ease and indulgence; but, however sparing the diet may be, it is evident that the fibres will still be much more foftened, than they could poffibly have been, had a proper and falutary exercife been continued.

This relaxation of the folids, and accumulation of the fluids, will be the fooner manifefted, according to the state the folids are in at the time of this change of life, and to the manner of living after that period. It generally, however, makes its first appearance in an increafe of fluids, for the compreffed cells, before mentioned, are gradually opened by the watery and oily fluid flowing from the upper cells; and as this fluid is affifted by a very relaxing heat, as well as by its own quality, it fooner or later re-enters the cells which the former motion of

the joint had made to collapfe. As the cells are diftending, the ligatures which they formed about the arteries are taken off, and the arteries are again furrounded with moisture. The indurated ftate in which they had fo long continued, will then gradually

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foften,

foften, and the fenfation of the nerves of their coats be increased.

This fenfation appears to be chiefly promoted by a redundancy of the fluid which fupports and pervades the nerves, and is an inferior degree of relaxation to that which has been fometimes obferved to soften the bones.

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• If these causes are continually operating, the cohesion will be fo much relaxed, as to be inclined to separate, especially at the extremity next the heart; for we formerly obferved the blood was continually in contact with that point of the cohefion on which account the relaxation must be greater there, than at any other part of it; because it has a relaxing fluid on all fides at that end; whereas the other parts of the cohesion are only moistened on the outside by the fluid contained in the cells furrounding it. All the hard cohefions will in this manner, therefore, be gradually refolved, or the arteries that had been closed for many years will again be difpofed to open; fo that although the cohefion had, in its former infenfible robuft ftate, refifted the folicitations of the heart, it can now refift no longer. For let us conceive the diameter of the artery above the cohering point, to be ftretched to the utmost it can bear without pain, it will neceffarily be ftill farther extended by the next impelling force. But as that force proceeds from the contractions of the heart, which are fudden and pulfatory, the feparation will be haftily begun, and the cohefion partially tore open, fo that the lacerated nerves will excite a degree of pain in proportion to their fenfibility, and the power of the contraction of the heart."

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This theory is ingeniously applied to the various phoenomena of the gout, but with more ingenuity indeed, we apprehend, than truth. For who, according to this doctrine, could efcape the gout? Who is there, that in fome part or other of his life is not in fuch a fituation as would difpofe to this attack upon the closed arteries?-But, without entering into the exceptionable parts of this theory, let us proceed to Dr. Caverhill's' method of cure. After explaining the operation of the oiled-filk, moxa, and opium, and ingeniously pointing out the conftitution, age, and degree of the difeafe, in which these are refpectively indicated, he comes to the principal point in his practice, which is exercise.

Whenever the gouty pain begins in any joint, the joint fhould be immediately moved. By this, the fluids are driven back from the feparating arteries which they were urging to destruction, and the tension is taken off the nerves. The pain, therefore, foon abates, and the part recovers its ufual powers. If the pain returns, upon the difcontinuation of motion, the motion fhould be renewed, and perfevered in; and the part

will be, at laft, fo ftrengthened as to be in no danger of a relapfe. Flannels are here never to be used; for the part should be clothed with its ordinary covering.

• Two fits of the gout were treated in the former manner, when the pain was in the great toe. The inflammation appeared, however, in both to be at its height, and attempts to motion were fuppofed impracticable. Having affured the patient, however, of the cause of arthritic pain, and of the injury the part would fuftain by a continuance of the inflammation, the foot was boldly fet upon the ground, and moved with refolution. The pains inftantly abated, and a facility in the motion of the part recovered.

From the nature of the difeafe, walking now appears to be the most rational way of treating the gout, when the pain is in the lower extremities. There are many living witnesses who have experienced this fact, and walked off a fit of the gout. When the pain is in the hands, elbows, or fhoulders, motion must be distributed to them by other kinds of exercise. If the pain be feated in any part which partakes of little motion, frictions may then be fubftituted for exercise.

"The Rhyngrave, who was killed laft fummer before Maeftright, told me, his father, the old Rhyngrave, whom I knew very well, had been long fubject to the gout, and never used other method or remedy, than upon the very firft fit he felt, to go out immediately and walk, whatever the weather was, and as long as he was able to ftand, and preffing ftill moft upon the foot that threatened him; when he came home he went to a warm bed, and was rubbed very well, and chiefly upon the place where the pain began. If it continued, or returned next day, he repeated the fame courfe, and was never laid up with it; and, before his death, recommended this course to his fon, if he fhould fall into that accident.

"A Dutchman, who had long been in the Eaft-Indies, told me, in one part of them, where he had lived fome time, the general remedy of all that were fubject to the gout, was rubbing with hands; and that whoever had flaves enough to do that conftantly every day, and relieve one another by turns, till the motion raised a violent heat about the joints where it was chiefly ufed, was never troubled much, or laid up by that disease." Sir Will. Temple's Works, V. i. fol. p. 143.

"My youngest brother told me he had a keeper very subject to it, but that it never laid him up; but he was ftill walking after his deer or his ftud while he had the fits upon him, as at other times, and often from morning to night, though in pain all the while. This he gave me as one inftance, that poor and toiling men have fometimes the gout, and that many more may have it than his keeper, who yet, he confeffed, ufed to bring

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