Bleeding has been used, not only as a cure for inflammation, but also as a preventative; but this must be considered as proper, only in particular instances. When, for instance, an wound has been inflicted, or an operation necessarily performed, on a robust person, bleeding immediately, or very soon after it, may be useful; because it will tend to lessen the chance of the natural action being carried so high as to become changed. These people cannot have their action much increased without disease; and, therefore, it is necessary to lessen it, and bring it down to a more proper medium. But there are other cases, where the action is naturally rather too low, and the patient weakly. In these cases, bleeding can do no good, but much harm; because it increases the previous weakness, and makes the inflammation, if it does occur, more dangerous, on account of the little power which there is to support the action. These people even bear bleeding worse than others, when inflammation has actually taken place. It ought never to be practised, in order to reduce the natural action, before disease has taken place; and, after the inflammatory action is induced, it ought to be used cautiously, and only to such an extent, as may be necessary for removing the tendency to immediate bad consequences. It ought, however, to be used very early in the disease; because, in weak people, the action does more harm in a given time, than in the strong; but it ought likewise to be sooner abandoned, otherwise we either hasten mortification, or prevent the act of restoration from taking place. Bleeding is rarely necessary in inflammation of the cellular substance alone, unless the action be extensive; in which case, the system is so affected, as to require our interference. When the cutis is inflamed, producing erysipelas, the system suffers considerably; but, as this frequently ends in mortification, bleeding has been neglected by many; but it is evident, that, if the disease be simple, and not dependent upon any specific agens dissimilis, or epidemic contagion, venesection is the proper cure, provided it be early employed, as we thus diminish the action more certainly than by any other means. If, however, the disease have been neglected, and the action be nearer a termination, then we must either do nothing in the way of general treatment, or must give opposite remedies from bleeding, according to circumstances. When muscles are inflamed, bleeding is often necessary to a very great extent, as we observe in rheumatism; and, in the beginning, we must take a greater quantity at a time, in order to procure an abatement, than in many other cases. When the viscera are inflamed, bleeding is uniformly necessary, and generally requires to be frequently repeated.