330 



have some other topics which may require to Ue connected with the 

 considerations here hinted at. 



14. Death is either local or universal : mortification and 

 ulceration both, exemplify local death. Universal death is never 

 known to take place, unless there is a seat of death in a functional 

 organ, whether originating, or produced secondarily, in such organ. 

 The organic life of a functional organ is commonly made to cease by 

 the impairment of the function (in which case the death of the organ 

 is produced in a way common to every other part), and not by the 

 primary extinction of its own organic life. Not however to antici- 

 pate the order we have proposed, we must proceed to illustrate our 

 other mode of death, viz. by secondary disease. 



15. 2. Secondary disease produces death, directly or indirect- 

 ly: directly, as by relations of spiritual properties; indirectly, as by 

 the changes of the material alliances in the seat of death. 



16. Death produced directly by secondary disease is of two 

 kinds: 1st, when the secondary seat of disease (or death) holds with 

 respect to the primary a relation of the regular dependent kind; 

 2nd, when a new relation is opened between the spiritual properties 

 of seats, by disturbance or change of these properties in one of 

 them, where no previous natural relation subsisted. 



17. The first class is illustrated in all those organs to which a 

 dependence has been assigned. Thus a disease, or injury which im- 

 paired or destroyed the life of the brain, would produce secondary 

 death of the lungs; because the influence of the brain, dependent 

 upon a healthy (or certain) state of its life, is necessary to respiration. 

 Thus also, if an influence from the brain or spinal marrow is 

 necessary to the life of the heart, the death of the heart would suc- 

 ceed to a certain disturbance or destruction of the life of the brain 

 or spinal marrow ; and the death of a secondary seat would happen 

 in consequence of the same relation, in any other case in which such 

 relation can be proved to exist. 



IB. The second class, or those cases in which secondary death 

 is directly produced by primary disease, in seats having no natural 

 dependent relation, is exemplified the most unequivocally in cases 

 of injury, and frequently enough in cases of spontaneous disease. 

 Thus the irritation (for the sake of a name) produced by a fractured 

 leg may be extended to the heart, and raise its actions to 140 in a 

 minute; this happens from direct relation between vital properties: 

 finally, thf heart in consequence of such injury, may cease to act at 

 all. In this case a new relation is opened where there was before no 

 regular dependence, except that common one for the supply of 

 arterial blood; for the whole leg might be cut off, and the heart 

 will not die, which it would do, if there were any relation of de- 

 pendence. To the same class belong most of the examples of the 

 sympathies, in which, as before sufficiently insisted upon, secondary 

 is produced by primary disease, and consequent death, in seats hold- 

 ing no natural relation. 



