: Beer, Met : 
EME. | 88 
head, that the shock to the system is universal. 
They do not produce a singleness of paralysed con- 
dition in any one organ. The brain, the nervous 
system, the catenated actions of respiration, the 
stomach, the bowe}s, the cutaneous sensibility, the 
voluntary and inyoluntary muscles, even the action 
of the heart and arteries,—all participate in the 
concussive injury, at least for a time, which is of 
longer duration, or shorter continuance, in pro- 
portion 0 the degree of intensity of the violent inju- 
ry. Isittherefore to be argued, because, in this 
condition of the whole system, the stomach obeys 
not the artificial presence of an unusual stimulus 
as of the emetic with which it may be forcibly 
gorged, that it does not evidence its retrocessive 
action, because that action depends on the brain, 
which, in these cases is palsied? The stomach in 
its actions, doubtless sympathises with the harmo- 
nious equipoise of all the parts of the general 
whole; and certainly does sympathise especially 
with the brain; bet when all these parts are thus 
invaded by a concussive injury, how can its qui- 
esence under the presence of an emetic, be refered, 
singly, to the injurious invasion of the cerebral 
d nervous functions? This is assuming what 
fact will not warrant; and does not prove that 
vomiting depends on the brain. 1 apprehend 
a similar universality of dissociated, or sus- 
nded actions, takes place in profound drunk- 
enness. The paralysing influence of the nar- 
cotic spirit, not only places the healthy func- 
tions in suspension or temporary paralysis, but it 
does so universally. And if, from any idiosycracy, 
the brain should partake less of this paralysis on 
its powers of reasoning, than in its ability to con- 
trou} or direct the voluntary muscles, as is not 
unfrequently the case—the stomach is in such cases 
