wing definition of the
gout.

"Morbus haereditarius, oriens sine causa externa evidente; sed
praeeunte plerumque ventriculi affectione insolita; pyrexia; dolor ad
articulum, et plerumque pedis pollici, certe pedum et manuum
juncturis, potissimum infestus; per intervalla revertens, et saepe
cum ventriculi et internarum partium affectionibus alternans."

Now, though this definition comprises a tolerably good general
character of the disease, it contains some notions, depending on the
prejudice of hypothesis, which, on a careful examination, ought not,
I think, to be admitted.

In the first place, I would deny, that the gout, considered as a
diseased state of the system, is hereditary. This may perhaps excite
some degree of surprise; and, "I had it from my father," is in the
mouth of a great majority of gouty patients.

If the diseased state of the system, which occurs in gout, were
hereditary, it would necessarily be transmitted from father to son;
and no man, whose father had it, could possibly be free from it.
There are, however, many instances to the contrary. Our parents
undoubtedly give us constitutions similar to their own, and there is
no doubt, that if we live in the same manner in which they did, we
shall have the same diseases. This, however, by no means proves the
disease to be hereditary.

We shall hereafter see, that the gout is a disease of indirect
debility, brought on by a long continued use of high seasoned food
and fermented liquors. There is no doubt that particular
constitutions are more liable to be affected by this mode of living
than others; and if my father's constitution be such, I, who probably
resemble him in constitution, shall in all probability be like him,
subject to the gout, provided I live in the same way; this however by
no means proves the disease to be hereditary. The sons of the rich,
indeed, who succeed to their fathers estate, generally succeed also
to his gout, while those who are excluded from the former, are also
exempted from the latter, and for very obvious reasons, unless they
acquire it by their own merit.

So that though the son of a gouty parent may have a constitution
predisposing to the gout; that is, more liable to be affected by
causes, which produce this disease, still, if he regulate the stimuli
to the state of his excitability, he will remain exempt from it.

This distinction is of much greater importance than is generally
imagined; for if a person firmly b