RELATION OF FOOD TO WORK, AND 289 



fatal syncope, may be easily imagiued ; and the use of them cannot be 

 justified by an}' arguments borrowed from light reason. 



A remarkable though transient improvement takes place in cholera 

 collapse by the injection of warm water (brought to the specific gravity 

 of serum by the addition of mineral salts) into the veins or bowels; the 

 patient loses the cramps, feels that he is about to recover, speaks to his 

 friends, and often transacts whatever business is necessary; but speedily 

 falls back into collapse. The imi^rovemeut in his condition is altogether 

 due to the temperature of the fluid injected, wljicli supplies for a brief 

 l^eriod the deficient animal heat, permits a partial oxidation of the blood, 

 restores the capillary circulation in the muscles and so destroys their 

 cramp, and, by supplying the deficient work required, removes for the 

 moment the fatal prostration of strength. Any one who has witnessed 

 the remarkable eiiects of warm liquids thus injected in cholera collapse 

 must feel that recovery would be certain if the improvement could by 

 any possibility be made permanent. 



Our hopes for the future, as to the treatment of cholera, lie, as 1 

 believe, in the direction of supplying to the body directly its lost animal 

 heat. 1 have witnessed the happiest results from an injection of warm 

 salt water into the bowels, assisted by hand friction of the surface with 

 turpentine and chloroform, and the ai^ijlication of bags of hot salt along 

 the spine ; in cases treated in this manner, we may expect to witness 

 cessation of muscular crauq), restoration of perspiration to the skin, with 

 increase of capillary circulation, and finally, to reward our efforts, a 

 return of the excretions of mine and bile; when these reai>pear, all 

 vomiting and purging cease, and our patient is almost cured. 



After recovery, the contrast between the cholera and fever patient is 

 as great as it was during sickness. The fever patient has been over- 

 worked for nine or fifteen days without a suitable supply of food, and 

 when convalescent experiences a complete exhaustion of strength that 

 lasts for many weeks. The cholera patient, on the other hand, has been 

 prevented from working by constriction of the capilliiry vessels, caused 

 by the absorption of the cholera poison,* and feels, on recovery, much 

 like a man that has been half drowned, while the fever patient resembles 

 a man that has been half starved ; the one is able to return to his work 

 in the course of a few days, the other only after the lapse of as many 

 weeks. 



There are two popular superstitions prevalent among medical men 

 respecting nature, which yearly slaughter hecatombs of victims, viz, 

 that nature is simple in her operations, and beneficent in her intentions; 

 she is often both simi)le and beneficent, but at other times she is un- 

 questionably both complex antl malevolent. 



An Egyptian fable informs us that the votaries of goddess Nature 

 were divided in opinion as to whether she was transcendentl}' beautiful 



* Whatever this may be, its period of incubation is 49 hours; that of strychnine is 22 

 minutes. in o 



