TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATION. 183 



travasation of blood ; sub-acute inflammation would 

 be that form of the disease in which the effusion of 

 liquor sanguinis was the preponderating morbid phe- 

 nomenon ; and atonic, or asthenic, either of which is 

 a better term than chronic inflammation, being a 

 state of mere congestion, would present only a serous 

 or aqueo-albumiuous effusion. In some instances it 

 may be possible to recognise this natural classifica- 

 tion even during life, and, when practicable, some 

 advantage may be found from its observance, as cal- 

 culated to suggest the remedies best suited to the 

 particular form of the disease then under examina- 

 tion. ' m But as, in the majority of cases of internal 

 inflammation, we cannot avail ourselves of this means 

 of diagnosis, our opinion as to the relative intensity 

 of the attack must be necessarily drawn from a con- 

 sideration of other circumstances. And even were 

 it always possible to use this general rule, it would 

 require to be very much modified in its application 

 to particular cases, by a constant reference to the 

 anatomical structure of the part affected, the com- 

 position of the blood, and integrity of structure of its 

 coloured globules, and various other considerations. 



I mentioned, towards the commencement of this 

 paper, that Mr. J. "W. Earle had promulgated some 

 views on the nature of inflammation very similar to 

 those which I had been led to adopt. The parts of 

 his communication which bear the greatest resem- 

 blance to my conclusions, will be found at pages 107 

 and 108 of the 16th volume of the MEDICAL GA- 

 ZETTE. But as he reasons upon the supposition 



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