Class I. 2, x. 18. OF IRRITATION, 61 



the whole fangruifercus fyftem, cr death, The blue colour of 

 fome children's arms or faces in very cold weather is owing in 

 like manner to the torpor of the abforbent terminations cf the 

 the veins, whence the blood is accumulated in them, and fome- 

 iimes burfts them. See Hxmorrhagia venofa, and Suppl. 1.2.7. 



In fome cafes of fever attended with petechias, Dr. Hail, of 

 Colchefter, directed the body to be wafhed with cold vinegar and 

 water twice a day, with great advantage. The petechias became 

 daily lefs numerous and lefs livid, the pulfe flower and ftrong- 

 er, with lefs delirium, and more fleep. He has treated twenty 

 cafes in this manner, and not loft one. Medical Review, Vol. 

 III. p. 8. 



In thefe cafes not only the application of external cold feems 

 to have been of fervice, by preventing the unnecefTary expendi- 

 ture of animal power ; but as the ftimulus of vinegar renders 

 the lips pale, when applied externally, and in confequence ftim- 

 uJates the terminations of the veins into greater action ; it feems 

 alfo to have contributed to remove the Petechias 



18. Aneurifma. Aneurifm is probably owing to the want of 

 due irritability of a part of the coat of an -artery. As living 

 mufcles are known to refill diruption more than dead ones, ac- 

 cording to the experiments (I think) of Br. LangrilTi, it follows 

 that when a part of the coat of an artery ceafes to contract by 

 the ftimulus of the blood, that it will foon become diftended by 

 the force of it, till it widens into a fack, and at laft becomes 

 ruptured. 



M. M. Venefe£tion repeatedly in fmall Quantities. Reft. 

 Diluent, mild nutriment. Daily evacuation by a pill confiding 

 of rhubarb eight grains, and foap four grains. 



It is polTible alfo, that an aneurifm may be produced by the 

 refiftance to the circulation, and the force of the heart being 

 greater than the (ides of the arteries can counterbalance. 



Mr. Gimbernat is faid to have cured fome cafes of aneurifm 

 in the popliteal artery by comprefling it by means of an adapted 

 machine, confiding of a fteel ring above and below the knee, 

 which are joined by a plate, beneath which is placed a proper 

 culhion, which can be preffed on the diftended part of the arte- 

 ry more or lefs by of means a fcrew. The other method of cure 

 is by a double ligature above the aneurifm, as firft practifed by 

 Mr. J. Hunter. 



19. Varix. The varix of veins occurs frequently in the legs 

 of women, pofTibly fometimes from tight garters, and has for its 

 proximate caufe the inirritability of the coat of the vein ; whence 

 }t becomes diftended, till it burfts, by the power with which the 



blood 



