“He had heard, I imagine, by some means or other, that you were soon to be in London, and immediately contrived to have such an attack of the gout as must at least delay his journey to Bath, if not wholly prevent it” (XXVIII).
Gout is a disease that typically affects only men, but can affect women, too. The major symptom of gout is a painful swelling in the joints of the extremities. Caused by high levels of uric acid, gout is more common among the affluent societies who had easier access to diets that provided extreme amounts of uric acid. Austen incorporates a high society disease into her novel to show that the affluent tend to overindulge themselves.
Works Cited: "Gout: Definition from Answers.com." Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more. 25 Mar. 2009 <http://www.answers.com/gout>.
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