Sup. I. 12. 1. THEORY OF FEVER. 4S1 



fifts in fupplying the blood with a greater proportion of oxygen \ 

 which may be done by refpiration, if the patient was to breathe 

 either oxygen gas pure, or diluted with atmofpheric air, which 

 might be given to many gallons frequently in a day, and by 

 pailing through the moift membranes of the lungs, according to 

 the experiments of Dr. Prieftley, and uniting with the blood, 

 might render it more (limulant, and thus excite the heart and 

 arteries into greater action ! May not fome eaGer method of 

 exhibiting oxygen gas by refpiration be difcovered, as by uHng 

 very fmall quantities of hyper-oxygenated marine acid gas very 

 much diluted with atmofpheric air ? 



XlL Torpor of the Stomach and upper Intejlines, 



1. The principal circumftancej which fupports the increafed 

 action of the capillaries in continued fever with weak pulfe, is 

 their reverfe fympathy with thofe of the ftomach and upper in- 

 teftines, or with thofe of the heart and arteries. The torpor of 

 the ftomach and upper inteftines is apparent in continued fevers 

 from the total want of appetite for folid food, befide the fick- 

 nefs with which fevers generally commence, and the frequent 

 diarrhoea with indigefted ftools, at the fame time the thirft of 

 the patient is fometimes urgent at the intervals of the ficknefs. 

 Why the ftomach can at this time take fluids by intervals, and 

 not folids, is difficult to explain ; except it be fuppofed, as fome 

 have affirmed, that the lacteal abforbents are a different branch 

 from the lymphatic abforbents, and that in this cafe the former 

 only are in a ftate of permanent torpor. 



2. The tornor of the heart and arteries is known by the 

 weaknefs of the pulfe. When the actions of the abforbents ot 

 the ftomach are diminished by the exhibition of fmall dofes of 

 digitalis, or become retrograde by larger ones, the heart and ar- 

 teries act more feebly by direct fympathy ; but the cellular, cu- 

 taneous, and pulmonary abforbents are excited into greater ac- 

 tion. Whence in anafarca the fluids in the cellular membrane 

 throughout the whole body are abforbed during the ficknefs, 

 and frequently a great quantity of atmofpheric moifture at the 

 fame time •> as appears by the very great difcharge of urine, 

 which fometimes happens in thefe cafes ; and in ileus the pro- 

 digious evacuations by vomiting, which are often a hundred 

 fold greater than the quantity fwallowed, evince the great action 

 of all the other abforbents during the ficknefs of the ftomach. 



3. But when the ftomach is rendered permanently fick bv 

 an emetic drug, as by digitalis, it is not probable, that much ac- 

 cumulation of fenforial power is foon produced in this organ ; 



Vol. II, Ooo becaufs 



