occasionally fall short of completeness and lucidity, because so much of their experience is drawn from the hospital side alone. F'ew can donbt that, if the notes of private case-books were subjected to the same discipline as obtains in those drawn up for hospital- purposes, some new chapters in clinical medicine and prognostics would have to be written. Some of the greatest clinical masters have in this way added greatly to the value of their writings, in proof of which I would only adduce the names of Graves, Bright, Watson, Latham, and Todd.
I have endeavoured to point out the relations of Gout to other morbid states, and its modifying influence on many of these. As will be found, I am old-fashioned enough still to believe in the existence of distinct diathetic habits of body, and venture to think that such conceptions are not only true, but also very helpful in guiding towards a better treatment of patients suffer- ing from the disorders attaching to such habits. This teaching is not in vogue at the present moment, and is believed by some rather to hinder than advance the progress of our art. I am altogether of a different opinion.
Many of the views expressed in this work are such as have long held sway in the French School of Medicine. I have to confess myself mnch imbued by these, and would here express my indebtedness to the acumen and discrimination which have been brought to bear in France by a long succession of eminent teachers on the whole subject of arthritic disorders. I do not find myself so often in accord with the teaching of German authorities in respect of Gout audl gouty diseases, but I gladly claim for Virchow and Ebstein that they have each thrown light on parts of the subject which were previously wrapped in obscu- rity. I should fail in my duty if I did not acknowledge how much I have learned from my distinguished colleague, Sir James Paget, whose contributions to this, as to all subjects on which he has written and taught, are amongst the most lucid and accurate in our possession. To the teaching of my former naster, Professor Laycock of Edinburgh, and to the writings of Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson, MM. Charcot, Lecorché, Rendu. Dr.
