return of the menstrual discharge.

"But to return to our original patient. I may say that after the third
venesection, with an interval of two hours, I withdrew a half-pound
of blood from the saphena vein, and that night she slept, although
she had not slept for many nights. And I did nothing more, except to
prescribe a light and cool diet. The third day after the bleeding she
was entirely free from any trouble in her hand. Hence I say that we
ought in such cases to begin our treatment by venesection."

After this sanguinary introduction, Gilbert soothes the diseased part
with cooling and astringent ointments, unless these occasion pain,
in which event he omits them entirely and trusts the case to nature,
"_quoniam natura per se curabit_."

The vigorous plan of treatment thus outlined Gilbert seems to regard
as original and peculiar to himself, for the next chapter bears the
title, "The treatment of gout according to the authorities (_secundum
magistros_)." Here he says he quotes the opinions of the modern
teachers and writers, who lay down definite rules for the guidance of
the physicians.

Among these he mentions, as primary and of general application, the
rule that, before all things, the body must be purified, either
by venesection in cases where the material is sanguineous, or by
purgation in other varieties of the disease. If the cause is rheumatic
in its nature, fomentations should never be employed, for fear of
increasing the flux. That the peccant material is to be eliminated
gradually by mild remedies, just as it accumulated by degrees. In all
cases of gout, and in all chronic diseases generally, much attention