474 THEORY OF FEVER. Sup. I. io. u 



die part of it ; not only cooler air might be admitted more free- 

 ly into a fick room to counteract, this orgafm of the pulmonary 

 capillaries •, but perhaps the patient might breathe with advan- 

 tage a mixture of carbonic acid gas, or of hydrogene gas, or of 

 azote with atmofpheric air. And on the contrary, when there 

 exifts an evident torpor of the pulmonary capillaries, which may 

 be known by the correfpondent chillnefs of the fkin ; and by a 

 tickling cough, which fometimes attends cold paroxyfms of fe- 

 ver, and is then owing to the deficient abforption of the pulmo- 

 nary mucus, the faline parts of which ftimulate the bronchhe, 

 or air- vefTels ; a mixture of one part of oxygen gas with 10 or 

 20 parts of atmofpheric air might probably be breathed with 

 great advantage. 



X. Torpor of the Brain. 



As the inactivity or torpor of the abforbent vefTels of the brain 

 is the caufe of hydrocephalus interhus -, and as the deficiency of 

 venous abforption in the brain, or torpor of the extremities of 

 its veins, is believed frequently to be die caufe of apoplexies ; fo 

 there is reafon to conclude, that the torpor of the fecerning vef- 

 fels of the brain, which are fuppofed to produce the fenforial 

 power, may conftitute the immediate caufe of fome fevers with 

 arterial debilitv- And alfo that the increafed action of thefe fe- 

 cerning vefTels may fometimes conftitute the immediate caufe of 

 fevers with arterial ftrcngth. 



It is neverthelefs probable, that the torpor or orgafm of the 

 fanguiferous, abforbent, or fecerning vefTels of the brain, may 

 frequently exift as a fecondary efTecl:, owing to their afTociation 

 with other organs, as the ftomach or lungs ; and may thus be 

 produced like the torpor of the heart and arteries in inirritative 

 fevers, or like the Orgafm of thofe organs in irritative fevers, or 

 inflammatory ones. 



Where there exifts a torpor of the brain, might not very 

 flight electric (hocks pafTed frequently through it in all direc- 

 tions be ufed with advantage ? Might not fomentations of 94 

 or 96 degrees of heat on the head for an hour at a time, and fre- 

 quently repeated, ftimulate the brain into action ; as in the re- 

 vival of winter-fleeping animals by warmth ? Ether externally 

 might be frequently applied, and a blifter on the fhaved head. 



Where the fecerning veiTels of the brain act with too great 

 energy, as in fome inflammatory fevers, might it not be dimin- 

 iihed by laying the patient horizontally on a mill-ftone, and 

 whirling him, till fleep fhould be produced, as the brain be- 

 comes 



