Class III. 2. 1. 14. OF VOLITION. 343 



gree of intoxication, whence difficulty of breathing may occur 

 from the inirritability of the lungs, as in Clafs I. 2. 1. 3. 



This explains an apparent paradox, why people who are fee- 

 ble, digeft their dinners bed, if they lie down and fleep, as moil 

 animals do, when their ftomachs are full. Yet many weak peo- 

 ple fleep very uneafily after a large fupper. If the debility of 

 the patient be not very great, and the dinner he has taken, be 

 moderate, the fufpeniion of voluntary action during fleep pre- 

 vents the expenditure of fo much fenforial power, which may 

 be employed on the actions of the ftomach, and thus facilitate 

 the digeftive procefs. If the patient be further exhaufted as in 

 the evening, or his debility greater, and fleep enfues after a co- 

 pious or ftimulating fupper, fo much fenforial power will be 

 exerted on the actions of the ftomach for digeftion, that the 

 circulation of the blood through the lungs will be impeded from 

 the diminifhed irritability to external ftimuli, and the abfence 

 of volition, as in the incubus, and fomnus interruptus. 



M. M. To fleep on a hard bed with the head raifed. Mod- 

 erate fupper. The bark. By fleeping on a harder bed the pa- 

 tient will turn himfelf more frequently, and not be liable to 

 fleep too profoundly, or lie too long in one pofture. To be 

 awakened frequently by an alarm clock. 



14. Lethargus. The lethargy is a (lighter apoplexy. It is 

 fuppofed to originate from univerfal preflure on the brain, and 

 is faid to be produced by comprefling the fpinal marrow, where 

 there is a deficiency of the bone in the fpina bifida. See Sect. 

 XVIII. 20. Whereas in the hydrocephalus there is only a par- 

 tial preflure of the brain ; and probably in nervous fevers with 

 ftupor the preflure on the brain may affect only the nerves of the 

 fenfes, which lie within the lkull, and not thofe nerves of the 

 medulla oblongata, which principally contribute to move the 

 heart and arteries ; whence in the lethargic or apoplectic ilu- 

 por the pulfe is flow as in fleep, whereas in nervous fever the 

 pulfe is very quick and feeble, and generally fo in hydrocephalus. 



In cafes of obftructed kidneys, whether owing to the tubuii 

 uriniferi being totally obftructed by calculous matter, or by 

 their paralyfis, a kind of drowfinefs or lethargy comes on about 

 the eighth or ninth day, and the patient gradually finks. See 

 Clafs I. 1. 3. 9. 



15. Syncope epileptica, is a temporary apoplexy, the pulfe con» 

 tinuing in its natural ftate, and the voluntary power fufpended. 

 This terminates the paroxyfms of epilepfy. 



When the animal power is much exhaufted by the preced- 

 ing convulfions, fo that the motions from fenfation as well as 

 chofe from volition are fufperuied •, in a quarter or half an hour 



... 



