TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATION. 231 



intervening membrane as perfectly passive, contri- 

 buting nothing more than its porosity towards the 

 performance of the function. The power of lateral 

 draught exercised by freely-moving streams has been 

 mentioned by various writers on Natural Philosophy, 

 as probably assisting the circulation through some 

 of the communicating venous branches; but I am 

 not aware of any other physiologist having adduced 

 it in explanation of the mechanism of absorption, by 

 supposing it to act through the pores situated in the 

 capillary walls upon any external fluids.* 



In order, then, to obtain the absorption of the 

 matters effused during inflammation, we must in 

 every case increase, as far as possible, the general 

 absorbing power of the capillary blood-currents, 

 while we at the same time apply, wherever practi- 

 cable, local remedies, calculated either to augment 

 the pressure acting on the exterior of the affected 

 vessels, or to promote the activity of the circulation 

 through them. The first object is accomplished by 

 a persistence in the use of evacuants, and by con- 

 tinuing to limit the quantity of ingesta ; the effect 

 of this diminution of the bulk of the circulating 

 mass being a more free and unimpeded passage of 

 the blood through the capillaries, whereby both the 

 activity of the absorbing process, and the extent of 



* Dr. C. J. B. Williams, in his Principles of Medicine, page 271, 

 represents me as having illustrated, by some experiments, views on 

 absorption advanced by him in his Gulstoniau lectures ; the sub- 

 stance of which appeared in the "Medical Gazette" (July, 1841). 

 I have carefully examined the communications referred to, but have 

 failed to discover in them any opinion on the nature or mechanism 

 of absorption differing from that of Mageudic. 



Q 4 



