IamobligedtoFortuneforhavingsooftenassaultedmewiththesamesortofweapons:sheformsandfashionsmebyuse，hardensandhabituatesme，sothatIcanknowwithinalittleforhowmuchIshallbequit。Forwantofnaturalmemory，Imakeoneofpaper;andasanynewsymptomhappensinmydisease，Isetitdown，whenceitfallsoutthat，havingnowalmostpassedthroughallsortsofexamples，ifanythingstrikingthreatensme，turningovertheselittleloosenotes，astheSybillineleaves，Ineverfailoffindingmatterofconsolationfromsomefavourableprognosticinmypastexperience。Customalsomakesmehopebetterforthetimetocome;for，theconductofthisclearingouthavingsolongcontinued，’tistobebelievedthatnaturewillnotalterhercourse，andthatnootherworseaccidentwillhappenthanwhatIalreadyfeel。Andbesides，theconditionofthisdiseaseisnotunsuitabletomypromptandsuddencomplexion:whenitassaultsmegently，Iamafraid，for’tisthenforagreatwhile;butithas，naturally，briskandvigorousexcesses;itclawsmetopurposeforadayortwo。Mykidneysheldoutanagewithoutalteration;andIhavealmostnowlivedanother，sincetheychangedtheirstate;evilshavetheirperiods，aswellasbenefits:peradventure，theinfirmitydrawstowardsanend。Ageweakenstheheatofmystomach，and，itsdigestionbeinglessperfect，sendsthiscrudemattertomykidneys;why，atacertainrevolution，maynottheheatofmykidneysbealsoabated，sothattheycannomorepetrifymyphlegm，andnaturefindoutsomeotherwayofpurgation。Yearshaveevidentlyhelpedmetodraincertainrheums;andwhynottheseexcrementswhichfurnishmatterforgravel？Butisthereanythingdelightfulincomparisonofthissuddenchange，whenfromanexcessivepain，Icome，bythevoidingofastone，torecover，asbyaflashoflightning，thebeautifullightofhealth，sofreeandfull，asithappensinoursuddenandsharpestcolics？Isthereanythinginthepainsuffered，thatonecancounterpoisetothepleasureofsosuddenanamendment？Oh，howmuchdoeshealthseemthemorepleasanttome，afterasicknesssonearandsocontiguous，thatIcandistinguishtheminthepresenceofoneanother，intheirgreatestshow;whentheyappearinemulation，asiftomakeheadagainstanddisputeitwithoneanother！AstheStoicssaythatvicesareprofitablyintroducedtogivevaluetoandtosetoffvirtue，wecan，withbetterreasonandlesstemerityofconjecture，saythatnaturehasgivenuspainforthehonourandserviceofpleasureandindolence。WhenSocrates，afterhisfetterswereknockedoff，feltthepleasureofthatitchingwhichtheweightofthemhadcausedinhislegs，herejoicedtoconsiderthestrictalliancebetwixtpainandpleasure;howtheyarelinkedtogetherbyanecessaryconnection，sothatbyturnstheyfollowandmutuallybegetoneanother;andcriedouttogoodAEsop，thatheoughtoutofthisconsiderationtohavetakenmatterforafinefable。
TheworstthatIseeinotherdiseasesis，thattheyarenotsogrievousintheireffectastheyareintheirissue:amanisawholeyearinrecovering，andallthewhilefullofweaknessandfear。Thereissomuchhazard，andsomanystepstoarriveatsafety，thatthereisnoendon’tbeforetheyhaveunmuffledyouofakerchief，andthenofacap，beforetheyallowyoutowalkabroadandtaketheair，todrinkwine，toliewithyourwife，toeatmelons，’tisoddsyourelapseintosomenewdistemper。Thestonehasthisprivilege，thatitcarriesitselfcleanoff:whereastheothermaladiesalwaysleavebehindthemsomeimpressionandalterationthatrenderthebodysubjecttoanewdisease，andlendahandtooneanother。Thoseareexcusablethatcontentthemselveswithpossessingus，withoutextendingfartherandintroducingtheirfollowers;
butcourteousandkindarethosewhosepassagebringsusanyprofitableissue。SinceIhavebeentroubledwiththestone，Ifindmyselffreedfromallotheraccidents，muchmore，methinks，thanIwasbefore，andhaveneverhadanyfeversince;IarguethattheextremeandfrequentvomitingsthatIamsubjecttopurgeme:and，ontheotherhand，mydistastesforthisandthat，andthestrangefastsIamforcedtokeep，digestmypeccanthumours，andnature，withthosestones，voidswhateverthereisinmesuperfluousandhurtful。Letthemnevertellmethatitisamedicinetoodearbought:forwhatavailsomanystinkingdraughts，somanycaustics，incisions，sweats，setons，diets，andsomanyothermethodsofcure，whichoften，byreasonwearenotabletoundergotheirviolenceandimportunity，bringustoourgraves？SothatwhenIhavethestone，Ilookuponitasphysic;whenfreefromit，asanabsolutedeliverance。
Andhereisanotherparticularbenefitofmydisease;whichis，thatitalmostplaysitsgamebyitself，andlets’meplaymine，ifIhaveonlycouragetodoit;for，initsgreatestfury，Ihaveenduredittenhourstogetheronhorseback。Dobutendureonly;youneednootherregimenplay，run，dine，dothisandt’other，ifyoucan;yourdebauchwilldoyoumoregoodthanharm;sayasmuchtoonethathasthepox，thegout，orhernia！Theotherdiseaseshavemoreuniversalobligations;rackouractionsafteranotherkindofmanner，disturbourwholeorder，andtotheirconsiderationengagethewholestateoflife:thisonlypinchestheskin;itleavestheunderstandingandthewillwhollyatourowndisposal，andthetongue，thehands，andthefeet;itratherawakensthanstupefiesyou。Thesoulisstruckwiththeardourofafever，overwhelmedwithanepilepsy，anddisplacedbyasharpmegrim，and，inshort，astoundedbyallthediseasesthathurtthewholemassandthemostnobleparts;thisnevermeddleswiththesoul;ifanythinggoesamisswithher，’tisherownfault;shebetrays，dismounts，andabandonsherself。Therearenonebutfoolswhosufferthemselvestobepersuadedthatthishardandmassivebodywhichisbakedinourkidneysistobedissolvedbydrinks;wherefore，whenitisoncestirred，thereisnothingtobedonebuttogiveitpassage;and，forthatmatter，itwillitselfmakeone。
Imoreoverobservethisparticularconvenienceinit，thatitisadiseasewhereinwehavelittletoguessat:wearedispensedfromthetroubleintowhichotherdiseasesthrowusbytheuncertaintyoftheircauses，conditions，andprogress;atroublethatisinfinitelypainful:
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