Diseases > Domestic medicine

DOMESTIC MEDICINE. 141
brougM on very tedious, and even incurable disorders,
by retaining their urine too long, from a false deli¬
cacy. When the bladder had been over-distended,
it often loses its power of action altogether, or
becomes paralytic, by which means it is rendeed
unable either to retain the urine, or expel it properly.
The calls of nature ought never to be postponed.
Delicacy is doubtless a virtue, but that can never be
reckoned true delicacy, which induces any one to
risk his health or hazard his life.
But the urine may be in too great as well as too
small a quantity. This may be occasioned by drink¬
ing large quantities of weak watery liquors, by the
excessive use of alkaline salts, or any thing that
timulates the kidnies, dilutes the blood, &c. This
disorder very soon weakens the body, and induces a
consumption. It is difficult to cure, but may be
mitigated by strengthening diet and astringent medi¬
cines, such as are recommended under the article
Diabetes, or excessive discharge of urine.
THE PERSPIRATION
Insensible perspiration is generally reckoned the
greatest of all the discharges from the human body.
It is of so great importance to health, that few
diseases attack us while it goes properly on j but
when it is obstructed the whole frame is soon dis¬
ordered. This discharge, however, being less per¬
ceptible than any of the rest, is consequently less
attended to. Henee it is, that acute fevers, rheuma¬
tisms, agues, &c. often proceed from obstructed
perspiration before we are aware of its having taken
On examining patients, we find most of them
impute their diseases either to violent colds which
they had caught, or to slight ones wh:ch had Veen
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