It is now proper to apply what hath been hitherto delivered, to the Distemper we are treating of, that from thence the Powers of Milk in the Cure may more clearly appear. We have shewed before how the Mass of the Blood becomes impregnated with a saline Acrimony, more or less Acid, from a sharp and indigested Chyle, and the Powers of Digestion weakned and impaired; whence is easily explained how the Lymph and acrid Serum is communicated to the mucilaginous Glands, and the smallest Branches of the Arteries, so as to infect and coagulate the Mucilage, in Proportion to the Quantity of Salts they contain. The Fibres of the Membranes and Tendons are vellicated by the Acrimony of those Salts, so as to occasion intolerable Pain, and affect the Nerves to a very great Degree.
SECT. 2.
From the Diversity of Pains and other Symptoms in the Gout, it appears that these saline Particles are sometimes salt and pungent, sometimes more volatile, sharp and burning. That the mucilaginous Humour is frequently acid and corrosive in the Gout, appears from hence, that this Liquor is neither so easily coagulated, nor acquires so great a Degree of Viscidity by any other Mixture as with austere Acids, and from the Obstinacy and Duration of the Pain. It is frequently observed, that upon the Approach of a Fit, People complain of sowre Belchings, Wind, and vomit acid Humours, so that hypochondriac People, and such as are subject to the Gravel, are most apt to be seized with this Distemper; this may afford a good Reason why not only the drinking of acid Wines bring on a Fit in gouty Persons, but originally occasion the Gout in such Persons as frequently drink them. The Mixture of Wine with the Mucilage plainly evinces, that the acid Particles of the Wine give a Disposition to the Distemper, for it caused a greater Coagulation of the Mucilage than Oyl of Vitriol, whence easily appears what Mischief it may do to gouty Persons.
SECT. 3.
How this sharp acid Humour comes to be secerned in the Glands, seems to want Explanation, and this I judge to be in the following Manner. The Blood being first imbued with a sufficient Quantity of these saline heterogeneous Particles, which it receives from the corrupted Chyle, is by Degrees disturbed in its Motion, and the Fibres of the Nerves begin to be sensibly irritated, so as to cause irregular Motions of the animal Spirits. The Blood itself is thickned, because these saline and viscid Particles get into the small Ramifications of the Arteries, and occasion Obstructions there; by this Means the natural Functions and Secretions of the Humours, especially in the Glands, are disturbed, and proceed slower; and accordingly for some Time before the Fit, we find Complaints of Crudities in the Stomach, a swelling and Heaviness of Body, and Weakness and Numbness of the Limbs, which increase daily till the Fit is formed. At length the Blood, by continued Irritations, being put into more violent Motions, drives these saline heterogeneous viscid Particles through the obstructed Capillaries into the glandular Vesicles, whence without doubt the Juices there secerned, especially that of which we are speaking, viz. the Mucilage in the Glands in and about the Joints, is not only plentifully stored with these acid corrosive Salts, becomes more viscid and ropy, but also very corrosive and poignant; and while it irritates and corrodes the adjoining Membranes and Tendons, not only causes violent Pains, but also since by the Contraction of the Nerves the Blood cannot move so freely through the smallest Vessels, the Fibres are distended, and an inflammatory Tumor frequently succeeds.
SECT. 4.
The Reason why the Gout affects particularly the Hands and Feet, and not all the Joints together, where Glands of the same Nature are placed, seems to be this: The Blood vitiated in the Manner before explained, propelling these saline Parts into the Pores of the Glands, from the inequality of its Motion in the Time of a Fit, does not impel those Salts with an equable Force, but chiefly into such Parts (especially the Feet and other pendulous Members) where the Pressure and Impulse lies heaviest; so dilates the Cavities of the smallest Canals, till at length it deposits Part of such Salts, with other viscid Humours, upon those Glands. Thus being partly freed from those Salts, the Gout does not seize other Parts with the same Violence; for frequently a large Quantity of such vitiated Humours are secerned by Urine, Sweat, and other more open Passages; and it even often happens, that Persons whose Juices are much corrupted, have avoided the Distemper by the Laxity and Openness of their Vessels; yet these very Persons, when the Blood becomes oppressed by these saline Particles in so great Degree, as not to be readily discharged by the larger Passages, they affect the Mucilage in the Glands and occasion the Gout.
SECT. 5.
That this Distemper comes by Fits, appears owing to this, that upon the Approach of a Fit much of the morbifick Matter is thrown upon the Glands by the Blood, so that the Blood thus freed from sharp and viscid Particles, moves easier and freer, till such Time as a sufficient Quantity of morbifick Matter is again generated in the Blood; which by separating again, a viscid and sharp Mucilage, the Symptoms of the Gout, are repeated in another Fit. The feverish Chilliness and Shivering that attends the Gout, is to be accounted for from the irregular Motion of the Blood, occasioned by the Salt and viscid Particles; and it is very likely that those very Salts themselves, irritating the Nerves, and occasioning inordinate and violent Motions of the animal Spirits, contribute to such a Fever; this Sharpness of the Blood, while the Salts are thrown forth by Urine or Sweat, remits till the Blood be again infected. We observe that the Gout often prevents other Distempers; for by this Expulsion of the corrupted Parts from the Blood, Distempers which might have arisen from them are prevented.