Art. IV. 2. 4. 2. SORBENTIA. 5 1 



have (hewn are abforbents of the red blood, after it has palled 

 the capillaries and glands. 



2. [ In the fea-fcurvy and petechial fever the veins do not per- 

 fectly perform this office of abforption ; and hence the vibices 

 are occafioned by blood ftagnating at their extremities, or ex- 

 travafated into the cellular membrane. And this clafs of vegeta- 

 bles, ftimulating the veins to perform their natural abforption, 

 without increafing the energy of the arterial action, prevents 

 future petechia, and may aflift the abforption of the blood al- 

 ready ftagnated,as fbon asks chemical change renders it proper 

 for that operation. 



3. The fluids, which are extravafated, and received into the 

 cells of the cellular membrane, feem to continue there for many 

 days, fo as to undergo fome chemical change, and are then taken 

 up again by the mouths of the cellular abforbents. But the 

 new veffels produced in inflamed parts, as they communicate 

 with the veins, are probably abforbed again by the veins along 

 with the blood which they contain in their cavities. Hence the 

 blood, which is extravafated in bruifes of vibices, is gradually 

 many days in difappearing ; but after due evacuations the in- 

 flamed veiTels on the white of the eye, if any ftimubnt lotion is 

 applied, totally difappear in a few hours. 



Amongft abforbents affecting the veins we fhould therefore 

 add tlie external application of ftimulant materials 5 as of vine- 

 gar, which makes the lips pale on touching them. Friction, 

 and electricity. 



4. Haemorrhages are of two kinds, either arterial, which are 

 attended with inflammation •, or venous, from a deficiency in 

 the abforbent power of this fet of veiTels^ In the former cafe 

 the torpentia are efficacious ♦, in the latter fteel, opium, alum, 

 and all the tribe of forbentia, are ufed with fuccefs. 



5. Sydenham recommends vegetables of the clafs tetradyna- 

 mia in rheumatic pains left after the cure of intermittents. 

 Thefe pains are perhaps fimilar to thofe of the fea-fcurvy, and 

 feem to arife from want of abforption in the affected part, and 

 hence are relieved by the fame medicines. 



V. 1. Inteftinal abforption. Some aftringent vegetables, as 

 rhubarb, may be given in fuch dofes as to prove cathartic ; and, 

 after a part of it is evacuated from the body, the remaining 

 part augments the abforption of the iriteftines ; and acts, as if 

 a fimilar dofe had been exhibited after the operation of any oth- 

 er purgative. Hence 4 grains of rhubarb fcrengthen the bow- 

 els, 30 grains firft empty them. 



2. The earthy falts, as alum, increafe the inteftinal abforp- 

 tion, and hence induce conftipation in their ufual dole ; alum 



is 



