Sup. I. ii. i. THEORY OF FEVER. 475 



comes comprefTed by the centrifugal force ? See Article 15. of 

 this Supplement. 



XI. Torpor of the Heart and Arteries. 



i. It was fhewn in Clafs IV. 1. 1. 6. in IV. 2. 1. 2. and in 



Suppl. I. 6. 3. that a reverfe fympathy generally exifts between 

 the lacteal and lymphatic branches of the abforbent fyftem. 

 Hence, when the motions of the abforbents of the ftomach are 

 rendered torpid or retrograde in fevers with arterial debility, 

 thofe of the fkin, lungs, and cellular membrane, act with in-' 

 creafed energy. But the actions of the mufcular fibres of the 

 heart and arteries are at the fame time aflbciated with thofe of 

 the mufcular fibres. of the ftomach by direct fympathy. Both 

 thefe actions occur during the operation of powerful emetics, 

 as fquill, or digitalis ; while the motions of the ftomach con- 

 tinue torpid or retrograde, the cellular and cutaneous abforbents 

 act with greater energy, and the pulfations of the heart and ar- 

 teries become weaker, and fometimes flower. 



2. The increafed action of the ftomach after a meal, and of 

 the heart and arteries at the fame time from the ftimulus of the 

 new fupply of chyle, feems originally to have produced, and to 

 have eftablifhed this direct fympathy between them. As the 

 increafed action of the abforbents of the ftomach after a meal 

 has been ufually attended with diminifhed action of the other 

 branches of the abforbent fvftem, as mentioned in Clafs IV. 

 1. 1. 6. and has thus eftablifhed a reverfe fympathy between 

 them. 



2. Befides the reverfe fympathy of the abforbent veiTels and the 

 mufcles of the ftomach, and of the heart and arteries, with thofe 

 of the fkin, lungs, and cellular membrane; there exifts a fimilar 

 reverfe fympathy between the fecerning veiTels or glands of the 

 former of thefe organs with thofe of the latter ; that is the mu- 

 cous glands of the heart and arteries act generally by direct fym- 

 pathy with thofe of the ftomach ; and the mucous glands of 

 the cellular membrane of the lungs, and of the fkin, act by re- 

 verfe fympathy with them both. 



Hence when the ftomach is torpid, as in ficknefs, this torpor 

 fometimes only affects the abforbent vefTels of it ; and the. the 

 abforbents of the cellular membrane and the fkin only act with 

 increafed energy by reverfe fympathy. If the torpor arTecLs the 

 mufcular fibres of the ftomach, thofe of the heart and arteries 

 act by direct fympathy with it, and a weak puife is produced, 

 as in the exhibition of digitalis, but without increale of heat. 

 But if the torpor alfo affects the glands of the ftomach, the cu- 

 taneous 



