The same effect is observable in the stomach and other organs. If a delicate person, after a hearty meal, use exercise to the extent of fatigue, he feels that the food is not digested, the stomach having been weakened or injured in its actions. Footnote 9: It has even been known, that, in consequence of the death of one child, the uterus has suffered partially, and expulsion takes place; but the other child continuing to live, has preserved the action of gestation in that part of the uterus, which, properly speaking, belonged to it, and pregnancy has still gone on. This, however, is an extremely rare occurrence; for, in almost every instance, the death of one child produces an affection of the action of gestation in the whole uterus, and the consequent expulsion of both children. Footnote 10: It is an old observation, that these purgatives, which produce much tenesmus, will excite abortion; and this is certainly true, if their operation be carried to a considerable extent, and continue long violent. Hence dysentery is also apt to bring on a miscarriage. Those strong purges which are sometimes taken to promote premature expulsion, not only act by exciting tenesmus, but likewise by inflaming the stomach and bowels, and thus affect the uterus in two ways. It cannot be too generally known, that when these medicines do produce abortion, the mother can seldom survive their effects. It is a mistaken notion, that abortion can be most readily excited by drastic purges, frequent and copious bleeding, &c. immediately after the woman discovers herself to be pregnant; on the contrary, the action of the uterus is then more independent of that of other organs, and therefore not so easily injured by changes in their condition. I have already shewn, that abortion more frequently happens when the pregnancy is farther advanced, because then not only the uterus is more easily affected, but the fœtus seems to suffer more readily. It is apt, either from diseases directly affecting itself, or from changes in the uterine action, to die about the middle of the third month, in which case expulsion follows within a fortnight. Footnote 11: In these circumstances I have sometimes found the children liable to a formidable disease, described by Dr. Heberden, in his little treatise on the diseases of children, “Cap. De Duritie Cutis.” I have met with this oftener than once in the same family, until the constitution of the mother was attended to, on the principle I have mentioned, after which the children were healthy. Footnote 12: Hiccup sometimes accompanies this complaint: at other times it attacks the patient as a disease by itself, or alternates with palpitation. It is best treated by giving large doses of ether. It is also necessary to clear the bowels; afterwards the compound tincture of bark is useful. ------------------------------------------------------------------------