143 (EXP. 
tions, I believe to be by the two fold operation 
1. through the general circulation, by which 
they incite other organs and tissues besides the 
lungs, bronchia and mucous lining in an equal if 
not greater degree, and, 2. by the catenated chain 
of sympathetic actions. 
Cullen defines expectorants thus: These are 
medicines which facilitate the bringing up the con- 
tents of the cavity of the lungs. This however 
must always be done by more or less of coughing ; 
but as we do not know, or at least I do not know, 
of any internal medicines for exciting this, I have 
confined my definition of expectorants to be those 
which render the contents of the bronchia to be 
more easily brought up.” He seems to have 
thought that there are medicines which can expede 
the secretion of mucus in the bronchia, though they 
have not come to our knowledge. Since he has 
assumed as postulates, that expectoration cannot 
be performed but by coughing, and that we have 
no medicines Known to induce this effect when in- 
ternally administered, and also that we are not 
able by internal medicaments to augment the 
quantity or change the quality of the natural, or 
morbid contents of the bronchia, how does he 
account for the operation of expectorants? Dis- 
carding the assertion of Senac, that mucus exists 
in the mass of blood, he infers, and every rational 
view of the subject will, 1 think, justify any one 
in according with him, that the class of medicines, 
termed by some, attenuants, cannot operate in 
diluting a morbid viscosity of that mucus in the 
circulating blood and fluids, which has never been 
proved to exist in them. Reasoning in the same - 
manner with reference to expectorants, he did not 
believe that any of them could operete in. lessening - 
the — of the mucus, poured out of the mu- 
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