elieves that the gout, as a
disease, is hereditary, what will be his conduct? My father had the
gout, says he, therefore I must have it; well, what cannot be
avoided, must be endured; let me then enjoy a short life, but a merry
one: he therefore abandons himself to a luxurious mode of life, and,
if the gout be the consequence, which most probably it will, he
accuses his stars, and his ancestors, instead of his own misconduct.

On the contrary, if a person be convinced that he has received from
his ancestors a constitution liable to be overpowered by the use of
high seasoned food, and fermented liquors, and excited into gouty
action, what will be his conduct? Surely, if he reason at all, it
must be in this way: my father was dreadfully afflicted with the
gout; I have frequently witnessed his sufferings with the deepest
concern. But is not my constitution, which resembles his, liable to
be affected in the same manner, by similar causes? To avoid his
sufferings, therefore, I must be very temperate; more so than those
who have not the hereditary propensity; for the exciting powers,
which would only keep them in health, would, if applied to me,
infallibly bring on the gout. In consequence of this reasoning, he
adopts a temperate mode of living, and avoids the disease.

From this you must be convinced, that it is not a matter of small
moment to determine, whether the gout is hereditary, and consequently
unavoidable, or not. The next part of Dr. Cullen's definition is
"oriens sine causa evidente". This too, I can have little hesitation
to pronounce erroneous. The cause of gout, namely, the use of highly
seasoned food, and the use of fermented liquors, with, in general, a
luxurious, and indolent mode of living, are quite evident enough in
most gouty cases, and are amply sufficient to produce the disease.

There is another part of the definition, likewise, to which I would
object, as it gives a false idea of the nature of the disease, and
therefore causes the preventative plan to be pursued with less
confidence. I mean that part where he says "per intervalla
revertens."

That the gout, when once cured, is apt to return, if the mode of life
which brought it on be not abandoned, no one will deny; nay, the fits
will increase in violence, because the constitution gets more and
more debilitated. This, however, is not peculiar to the gout, but
common to most diseases.

In describing a broken leg, it would surely be wrong to say,