from whom he had a Dose of Pills, which gave him about 30 Stools, which sunk him so much that his Nails turn’d black, and he died in two or three days time; Here ’tis very likely the Signification was entirely extinct, and the Blood chang’d into a Preternatural Fluid, and all by the great Power of these Deleterious Drugs; and tho’ ’tis likely the Quack did not know the proper Dose of his Medicines, yet one would think, this was no more than what might be expected from Ten Grains of _Elaterium_, which yet has been allow’d by an Eminent Writer. Besides the weak State of the Blood, the Ventricle is always more or less impair’d in this Distemper, and consequently unable to be put to bear the violent _Stimuli_ of the stronger Purgers, without Danger of having its Tone irrecoverably ruin’d. It may likewise be Prudent to forbear Purging in this Case, left happily there should be some greater Obstruction in the Liver, than we are aware on, for then it might be follow’d with ill Consequences; ’tis true, if that Bowel is really _Schirrous_, it may be discern’d, or a great Tendency toward it, will shew it self sometimes in the Greeness and Virulency of the Bile mixt in the Excrements, together with other Indications; but a slight disorder there, is not always regarded, and Brick-colour’d turbid Urines are so common in all kind of Dropsies, that we may not discern that the Blood does abound too much with Bile, and so a Purge given at such a time may do a great deal of Mischief, for the Bile is of a light Nature in Comparison of the _Phlegm_, and moves easily, and no Man knows what he does when he rouzes it; I knew an ill accident happen once upon a Purge, given by a very Eminent Physician, to a Gentleman in a _Jaundice_, which put him into the most extravagant and fatal _Hypercatharsis_: thus bold Administrations to such weak Subjects, may be attended with Tragical Accidents, but the milder and gradual measures may succeed, without such dangerous Risks, if we consider what have been the Difficulties which have lay in the way, and hindred the Operation of our Diureticks.