when it is pursued to a certain degree, it is a direct debilitator; and, being such, and in that very peculiar manner, before described, is a direct remedy of fever and inflammation, goes to the very bottom of the cause, in such a manner as no other medicine on earth can possibly do, and removes tension in any degree, and reduces to any state or degree of laxity, at the pleasure of the operator, and performs all this in the hands of a judicious electrician, without the least prejudice to any part of the animal system: but, on the contrary of that, if the strength of the shock doth not exceed due bounds, all the animal functions, essential to life and health, are assisted; digestion is promoted, any retained coagulated fluids are separated, and carried into the circulation; and being attentuated, and the natural evacuations promoted, the fluids become cleansed and purified; it removes any extravasitation that may be of the blood, any cause of polypus, gravel, ulcers, cancers, &c. &c.

Thus, while we are removing the most malignant of diseases, by this innocent, powerful, and most blessed of all medicines, we have the additional satisfaction of knowing that we are, at the same time, laying a foundation for the enjoyment of perfect health in the patient.

But, as to the manner of removing the inflammation in a rheumatism, the generally increased action of the vessels, and the suppressed perspiration, must be treated by electricity as fever; and the local affection must be treated as the lungs in a peripneumony: for not only the lungs in a peripneumony, but also any other part, highly irriated and inflamed, can hardly bear any degree of an electric shock. Wherefore, all the relief must be given that is possible, by taking off the increased action, and by inducing a rapid perspiration, before a single shock is passed through the local affection, or seat of the disease.

In treating the local affectation (vide page 89th) the same precautions must be observed that you do not wound this seat of inflammation, that are necessary in commencing the operation on the lungs, in a peripneumony. Moreover, the retained morbific matter will be with more difficulty removed, should these dilated and irritated vessels be additionally dilated by the shock; the reduction of the swelling would be retarded, through the inaction of these particular portions of vessels. For, in spite of all the stricture of fever heat, the diameters of the vessels, in the seat of the affection, are distended by a redundancy of morbific matter, blook, &c. The paints in fever are of a similar description, or from stricture simply.

After the sthenic diathesis is removed, and the action of the vessels reduced to a state of health; the local affection may be treated by

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