in matters of policy, signifies the form of government established in any country or kingdom.
CONSTITUTION also denotes an ordinance, decision, regulation, or law, made by authority of any superior, ecclesiastical or civil.
Apostolic Constitutions, a collection of regulations attributed to the apostles, and supposed to have been collected by St Clement, whose name they likewise bear.
It is the general opinion, however, that they are spurious, and that St Clement had no hand in them. They appeared first in the IVth age, but have been much changed and corrupted since that time. They are divided into eight books, consisting of a great number of rules and precepts, relating to the duties of Christians, and particularly the ceremonies and discipline of the church. Mr Whitton, in opposition to the general opinion, affirms them to be a part of the sacred writings, dictated by the apostles in their meetings, and wrote down from their own mouth by St Clement; and intended as a supplement to the New Testament, or rather as a system of Christian faith and policy. The reason why the Constitutions are suspected by the orthodox, and perhaps the reason also why their genuineness is defended by Mr Whitton, is, that they seem to favour Arianism.
in a physical sense, signifies the particular temperature of the body.
It is curious to observe, says Dr Percival, the revolution which hath taken place, within this century, in the constitutions of the inhabitants of Europe. Inflammatory diseases more rarely occur, and, in general, are much less rapid and violent in their progress than formerly*, nor do they admit of the same antiphlogistic method.
* The decrease in the violence of inflammatory diseases may perhaps in part be ascribed to the present improved method of treating them. Moderate evacuations, cool air, acid diet, and the liberal use of saline and antimonial medicines, are better adapted to check the progress of fever, than copious bleedings, stimulating purgatives, and profuse sweats, excited by theriacs and mithridate. method of cure that was practised with success 100 years ago. The experienced Sydenham makes 40 ounces of blood the mean quantity to be drawn in the acute rheumatism; whereas this disease, as it now appears in the London hospitals, will not bear above half that evacuation. Vernal intermittents are frequently cured by a vomit and the bark, without venefication; which is a proof that at present they are accompanied with fewer symptoms of inflammation than they were wont to be. This advantageous change, however, is more than counterbalanced by the introduction of a numerous class of nervous ailments, in a great measure unknown to our ancestors; but which now prevail universally, and are complicated with almost every other distemper. The bodies of men are emaciated and enervated; and it is not uncommon to observe very high degrees of irritability, under the external appearance of great strength and robustness. The hypochondria, palpies, cachexies, dropsies, and all those diseases which arise from laxity and debility, are in our days endemic everywhere; and the hysterics, which used to be peculiar to the women, as the name itself indicates, now attack both sexes indiscriminately. It is evident that so great a revolution could not be effected without a concurrence of many causes; but amongst these, (according to Dr Percival), the present general use of tea holds the first and principal rank. The second place may perhaps be allowed to excels in spirituous liquors. This pernicious custom, in many instances at least, owes its rise to the former, which, by the lowness and depression of spirits it occasions, renders it almost necessary to have recourse to something cordial and exhilarating. And hence proceed those odious and disgraceful habits of intemperance, with which many of the softer sex are now alas! chargeable.