ia: anne 
difcover what are the fecretions of this gland, or what its 
ufe. The opinion which the ingenious Mr. Hewfon advanced 
a few years ago feems to me as wild as the conjectures of 
thofe who preceded him; for how much lefs abfurd does it 
appear to fuppofe the {pleen employed in manufacturing cen- 
tral fubftances for the globules of the blood than that it was 
intended “ as an equipoife for the liver,” or “an ufelefs mafs,” 
or an “ error of nature,” or “ a fink for atrabiliary foeces,” 
or “ the receptacle of a ferment,” or the “ feat of luxury,” 
as fuppofed by fome; or “ of grief,” as alleged by others, or 
“of joy,’ or “ indolence,” “ of mirth,” or “ fleep,” each of 
which, though oppofite, had its fupporters. 
But though the experiment of Malpighi has not difcovered 
to us the ufe of this vifcus, it has, however, proved to us, 
that it is not indi/penfably neceflary to animal life; and the 
cafe which I have related evinces that it may be increafed 
immenfely without affecting the conftitution otherwife than 
by mechanical means. Enlarged enormoufly as it was, it did 
not prevent fever, nor did it feem to give rife to any dif- 
eafe. Dropfy, the common confequence of obftructed or even 
enlarged vifcera, was not produced by it; and had not the 
fever accidentally come on, the man might have lived till the 
preffure had prevented digeftion from being performed. That 
it aggravated the fymptoms of the fever, and contributed to 
its danger, I will readily confefs ; but I by no means think that 
it can be confidered as a caufe either exciting or remote. 
