Sect. XXXII. 9. 1. OF IRRITATION. 297 



two or more of them acting at the fame time, a great degree of 

 quiefcence is induced on any confiderabie part of the circle of 

 irritative motions, the whole clafs of them is more or lefs dif- 

 turbed by their irritative afibdations. If this torpor be occa- 

 fioned by a deficient fupply of fenforial power, and happens to 

 any of thole parts of the fyftem, which are accuftomed to per- 

 petual activity, as the vital motions, the torpor increafes rapidly, 

 becaufe of the great expenditure of fenforial power by the in- 

 ceflant activity of thofe parts of the fyftem, as fhewn in No. 3, 

 2. of this Section. Hence a deficiency of all the fecretions fuc- 

 ceeds, and as animal heat h produced in proportion to the quan- 

 tity of thofe fecretions, the coldnefs of the fkin is the firft cir- 

 cumftance, which is attended to. Dr. Martin aiTerts, that fome 

 parts of his body were warmer than natural in the cold fit of 

 fever ; but it is certain, that thofe, which are uncovered, as the 

 fingers, and nofe, and ears, are much colder to the touch, and 

 paler in appearance. It is poflibie, that his experiments were 

 made at the beginning of the fubfequent hot fits ; which com- 

 mence with partial diftributions of heat, owing to fome parts of 

 the body regaining their natural irritability fooner than others. 

 From the quiefcence of the anaftomofing capillaries a pale- 

 nefs of the fkin fucceeds, and a lefs fecretion of the perfpirable 

 matter ; from the quiefcence of the pulmonary capillaries a dif- 

 ficulty of refpiration arifes •, and from the quiefcence of the oth- 

 er glands lefs bile, lefs gaftric and pancreatic juice, are fecreted 

 into the ftomach and interlines, and lefs mucus and faliva are 

 poured into the mouth ; whence arifes the dry tongue, coftive- 

 nefs, dry ulcers, and paucity of urine. fFrom the quiefcence of 

 the abforbent fyftem arifes the great third, as lefs moifture is ab- 

 sorbed from the atmofphere. The abforption from the atm'of- 

 phere was obferved by Dr. Lifter to amount to eighteen ounces 

 in one night, above what he had at the fame time infenfibly peu> 

 fpired. See Langrifh. On the fame account the urine is pale* 

 though in fmall quantity, for the thinner part is not abforbed 

 from it •, and when repeated ague-fits continue long, the legs 

 fwell from the diminimed abforption of the cellular abforbents. 

 From the quiefcence of the inteftinal canal a lofs of appetite 

 and flatulencies proceed. From the partial quiefcence of the 

 glandular vifcera a fwelling and tenfion about the prsecordia be- 

 come fenfible to the touch ; which are occafioned by the delay 

 of the fluids from the defect of venous or lymphatic abforption. 

 The pain of the forehead, and of the limbs, and of the fmall of 

 the back, arifes from the quiefcence of the membranous fafcia, 

 or mufcles of thofe parts, in the fame manner as the fkin be- 

 comes painful, when the veiTels, of which it is compofed, be- 

 Vol. I. P p come 



