It must be observed, generally, of both these diseases—that of the throat and nose, and this of the bones—that they are oftener the result of improper treatment, such as the excessive use of mercury, and exposure to great vicissitudes of weather while under its influence, inducing what is called the mercurial disease (which in fact is, or was, of more frequent occurrence than the constitutional syphilitic one), than the result of the natural tendency of the disease in an otherwise healthy individual. _On the treatment of Syphilis._—I consider it a fair presumption that any invalided reader, except he be an accidental one, of this book—by which I mean one, not having _sought_ its possession—must be acquainted with the association of _mercury_ and _syphilis_. If not, let him be told for the first time, that such association exists as between copaiba and gonorrhœa; or perhaps what may be rendered more familiar to him, namely, as between _quinine_ with _ague_, or _colchicum_ with _rheumatism_. That for upward of three hundred years past mercury has been held an antidote to venereal affections; and still is, in many forms of the same, acknowledged indispensable for their removal. From old notions afloat, that syphilitic patients to be cured must be salivated to the extent of furnishing or filling two or three wash-hand basins daily with saliva—that the teeth drop out, that the breath becomes horribly fetid, and that the consumer of the poison sacrifices one third of his probable existence, even though he get well—the greatest possible prejudice exists against mercury, and the generality of uninformed patients have acquired a most uncompromising dread of the remedy. From the frequent difficulty in getting patients to submit knowingly to mercurial treatment, many new means have been caught up, and some judiciously applied. This new method has its advantages; but it does not realize all that is promised. It consists in advising rest, cleanliness, simple soothing applications, and, on the other hand, mild astringent ones, a temperate diet, fresh air, an easy mind, sarsaparilla, and other alterative medicines. There are many believers in the efficacy of simplicity; and the success that follows such treatment of nine tenths of the ailments of humanity, bears out the usefulness of the preceding methods; but the remaining tithe have alike a claim upon our consideration, and of this tithe the syphilitic invalids form a large portion.