e it carries up the mind to heaven. He who would have his lamp

_At midnight hour
Be seen in some high lonely tower,_[18]

will waste the flame of this unheeded life: and while he labours to
unsphere the spirit of Plato[18] will let loose his own.

SECT. VI.

The Cure of the HYPOCHONDRIASIS.

Let him who would escape the mischiefs of an obstructed spleen, avoid
the things here named: and let him who suffers from the malady,
endeavour to remember to which of them it has been owing; for half the
hope depends upon that knowledge.

Nature has sometimes made a cure herself, and we should watch her ways;
for art never is so right as when it imitates her: sometimes the
patient's own resolution has set him free. This is always in his power,
and at all times will do wonders.

The bleeding of the piles, from nature's single efforts, has at once
cured a miserable man; where their cessation was the cause of the
disorder. A leprosy has appeared upon the skin, and all the symptoms of
the former sickness vanished. This among the Jews happened often: both
diseases we know were common among them: and I have here seen something
very like it: Water-Dock has thrown out scorbutic eruptions, and all the
former symptoms of an Hypochondriacal disorder have disappeared:
returning indeed when these were unadvisedly struck in; but keeping off
entirely when they were better treated. A natural purging unsuppressed
has sometimes done the same good office: but this is hazardous.

It is easy to be directed from such instances; only let us take the
whole along with us. Bleeding would have answered nature's purpose, if
she could not have opened of herself the haemorrhoidal vessels; but he
who should give medicines for that purpose, might destroy his patient by
too great disturbance. If a natural looseness may perform the cure, so
may an artificial; when the original source of the disorder points that
way. But these are helps that take place only in particular cases.

The general and universal method of cure must be by some mild and gently
resolving medicine, under the influence of which the obstructing matter
may be voided that, or some other way with safety. The best season to
undertake this is the autumn, but even here there must be caution.

In the first place, no strong evacuating remedy must be given; for that,
by carrying off the thinner parts of the juices, will tend to thicken
the remainder; and certainly encrease th