240 ON THE NATURE AND PRINCIPLES OF 



tli" case must present more of a stheuic character 

 than those which we have lately been considering, 

 and in its treatment we must therefore be guided by 

 the same principles which regulate the management 

 of the more acute forms of the disease. And, as 

 regards counter-irritation, a remedy of very great 

 utility in the treatment of internal or deep-seated 

 chronic inflammation, the benefit resulting from its 

 employment is often so much greater than can be 

 explained by its purely physical action as a deriva- 

 tive, that we are, I think, almost compelled to adopt, 

 to a certain extent, the ancient idea that these arti- 

 ficial sores act as drains for the discharge of vitiated 

 fluid from the blood. 



These, then, appear to me to be the general prin- 

 ciples on which the treatment of inflammation is to 

 be conducted; and they are, I think, in perfect 

 unison with what we know of the nature and causa- 

 tion of that disease. The extent to which, in each 

 particular case, depressing or strengthening measures 

 are to be pursued, must, of course, be left wholly to 

 the judgment of the practitioner ; and the greatest 

 care and circumspection are in some cases required 

 to enable us to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion on 

 this important question. In applying to practical 

 purposes the pathological views contained in the 

 preceding part of this communication, I have, there- 

 fore, ventured to dissent in toto from those who 

 think that all cases of inflammation are to be treated 

 on antiphlogistic principles. 



There doubtless still remain for investigation sonic 

 obscure points connected with the nature and mode 



