49 S THEORY OF FEVER. Sup. I. 16. i. 



By thus whirling the patient with increafing velocity fleep 

 might be produced, and probably the violence of the actions of 

 the heart and arteries might be diminifhed in inflammatory fe- 

 vers ; and, as it is believed, that no accumulation of fenforial 

 power would fucceed a torpor of the origin of the nerves, either 

 thus procured by mechanical compreffion, or by the bladder- 

 cap of cold water above defcribed, the lives of thoufands might 

 probably be faved by thus extinguishing the exacerbations of fe- 

 brile paroxyfms, or preventing the returns of them. 



In fevers with weak pulfe fleep, or a degree of flupor, thus 

 produced, might prevent the too great expenditure of fenforial 

 power, and thus contribute to preferve the patient. See Clafs 

 I. 2. 5. 10. on itupor. What might be the confequence of 

 whirling a perfon with his head next the centre of motion, fo 

 as to force the blood from the brain into the other parts of the 

 body, might be difcovered by cautious experiment without 

 danger, and might probably add to our ability of curing fever. 



Mr. Kelly, in his obfervations on compreffion, Edinb. 1797, 

 afTerts, that by compreiling the two fubclavian arteries, as they 

 pafs over the firft rib, more blood will comprefs the brain, and 

 produce a kind of apoplectic ftate fimilar to that, which may 

 occur by the centrifugal force, if the patient was whirled round 

 as above defcribed. And adds, that by this compreffion of the 

 two fubclavian arteries a greater quantity of blood will be cir- 

 culated through the head, whence the patient foon complains of 

 drowfinefs and vertigo ; and that hence different fpecies of 

 head-achs are foon removed, efpecially thofe which depend on 

 defect of flimulation. 



XVI. Recapitulation. 



1. The fenforial power caufes the contraction of the fibres, 

 and is excited into action by four different circumftances, by the 

 Itimulus of external bodies, by pain or pleafure, by defire or 

 averfion, or by the previous motions of other contracting fibres. 

 In the firft fituation it is called the fenforial power of irritation, 

 in the fecond the fenforial power of fenfation, in the third the 

 fenforial power of volition, and in the fourth the fenforial power 

 of afibciation. 



Many parts of the body are excited into perpetual action, as 

 the fanguiferous vefTels confifting of the heart, arteries, and 

 veins ; others into nearly perpetual action, as the conglomerate 

 and capillary glands ; and others into actions (till fomewhat 

 lefs frequent, as the alimentary canal, and the lacteal and 

 lymphatic abforbents with their conglobate glands : all thefe are 



principally 



