Art. VII. 2. 3. 2. TORPENTIA. ;r 



wind, and the infenfible perfpiration increafed by repeatedly go* 

 ing into frofty air, but not continuing in it too long at a time. 



2. When by the too gteat warmth of a room or of clothes 

 the fecretion or perfpirable matter is much increafed, the ftrength 

 of the patient is muchexhaufted by this unnecefTary exertion of 

 the capillary fyftem, and thence of the whole fecerning and ar- 

 terial fyftem by afTbciation. The diminution of external heat 

 immediately induces a torpor or quiefcence of thefe unnecefTary 

 exertions, and the patient inftantly feels himfelf ftrengthened, 

 and exhilarated , the animal power, which was thus wafted in 

 vain, being now applied to more ufeful purpofes. Thus when 

 the limbs on one fide are difabled by a (Iroke of the pally, thofe 

 of the other fide are perpetually in motion. And hence all 

 people bear riding and other exercifes bed in cold weather. 



Patients in fevers, where the fkin is hot, are immediately 

 ftrengthened by cold air ; which is therefore of great ufe in fe- 

 vers attended with debility and heat ; but may perhaps be of 

 temporary difTervice, if too haflily applied in fome fituations of 

 fevers attended with internal topical inflammation, as in perip- 

 neumony or pleurify, where the arterial ftrength is too great al- 

 ready, and the increafed action of the external capillaries being 

 deftroyed by the cold, the action of the internal inflamed part 

 may be fuddenly increafed, unlefs venefection and other evacu- 

 ations are applied at the fame time. Yet in moft cafes the ap- 

 plication of cold is neverthelefs lalutary, as by decreafing the 

 heat of the particles of blood in the cutaneous vefTels, the ftim- 

 ulus of them, and the diftention of the vefTels becomes confider- 

 ably lefTened. In external inflammations, as the fmall-pox, and 

 perhaps the gout and rheumatifm, the application of cold air 

 mult be of great fervice by decreafing the action of the inflamed 

 fkin, though the contrary is too frequently the practice in thofe 

 difeafes. It muft be obferved, that for all thefe purpofes the ap- 

 plication of it mould be continued a long time, otherwife an in- 

 creafed exertion follows the temporary torpor, before the difeafe 

 is deftroyed. 



The topical application of cold to relieve inflammatory pains, 

 or to deftroy the too great action of the vefTels, may be ufed 

 with great advantage. In local inflammations, as in the pleuri- 

 fy, or ophthalmia, or in local pains from the ftimulus of an ex- 

 traneous body, as in gravel defcending along the ureter, the ap- 

 plication of cold on or near the affected part may be ufed with 

 falutary effect, as by prefling on the part a bladder full of cold 

 water with fait difTolving in it; or by the evaporation of eth^r 

 on it ; which may render the vefTels torpid or inactive. ' Bui d 

 application of cold to the whole fkin might increaie the a&ioii 



