in the inhabitants of the West-Indies, whether produced by the heat of the climate or the excessive pursuits of business or pleasure, generally terminates in dropsy, or in some disease of the alimentary canal. I have said, that it seemed to be a law of the system, that general debility should always produce some local affection. But to this law there are sometimes exceptions: the atrophy appears to be a consumption without an affection of the lungs. This disease is frequently mentioned by the writers of the 16th and 17th centuries by the name of tabes. I have seen several instances of it in adults, but more in children, and a greater number in the children of black than of white parents. The hectic fever, and even the night sweats, were as obvious in several of these cases, as in those consumptions where general debility had discovered itself in an affection of the lungs. I come now to make a few observations upon the CURE of consumption; and here I hope it will appear, that the theory which I have delivered admits of an early and very important application to practice. If the consumption be preceded by general debility, it becomes us to attempt the cure of it before it produce the active symptoms of cough, bloody or purulent discharges from the lungs, and inflammatory or hectic fever. The symptoms which mark its first stage, are too seldom observed; or if observed, they are too often treated with equal neglect by patients and physicians. I shall briefly enumerate these symptoms. They are a slight fever increased by the least exercise; a burning and dryness in the palms of the hands, more especially towards evening; rheumy eyes upon waking from sleep; an increase of urine; a dryness of the skin, more especially of the feet in the morning[24]; an occasional flushing in one, and sometimes in both cheeks; a hoarseness[25]; a slight or acute pain in the breast; a fixed pain in one side, or shooting pains in both sides; head-ache; occasional sick and fainty fits; a deficiency of appetite, and a general indisposition to exercise or motion of every kind. [24] The three last-mentioned symptoms are taken notice of by Dr. Bennet, in his Treatise upon the Nature and Cure of the Consumption, as _precursors_ of the disease. Dr. Boerhaave used to tell his pupils that they had never deceived him. [25] I have seen the _hoarseness_ in one case the first symptom of approaching consumption. In this symptom it preserves the analogy of pneumony, which often comes on with a hoarseness, and sometimes with paraphonia.