Note 539 — ON REGIMEN IN ACUTE DISEASES.

Galen gives the following illustration of what is meant by a disease of a peculiarly dry nature. In pneumonia, pleurisy, and in all the affections about the lungs and trachea, the disease is held to be of a dry nature when there is no expectoration from the parts affected; and in any complaints about the liver, the mesentery, the stomach, the small or great intestines, or spleen, when the belly is either entirely constipated, or when the discharges brought away by artificial means are dry and scybalous; and diseases of the arteries and veins are known to be dry by the dryness of the tongue, and the parched appearance of the whole body. In the same manner external ulcers are accounted dry when there is no discharge from them. And ophthalmies are held to be dry when there is no discharge from the eyes or nose. And, in short, all diseases are recognized as being dry which are not attended with any discharge.