168 CHAPTER 18. 



338. Effect of inflammation on the nutrition of the part. 



The effect on the nutrition of the part will be very varied, according to 

 the degree of the disturbance of the functions of the tissue affected, the 

 amount of hypersemia in the surrounding parts, the health and condition 

 of the patient, and on some other circumstances. The nutrition may be 

 excessive, as indicated in some cases by an over-rapid growth of granu- 

 lations ; or it may be diminished, sometimes to an excessive degree, as 

 indicated by a tendency to ulceration. Again, the products poured forth 

 may be unhealthy, or they may be available for the repair of lesions. 

 In some cases the disturbance of function in the tissue may be so great 

 as to induce mortification or death of the part. 



339. Local, Diffused, and Specific inflammation. 



Inflammatory attacks are divided into Local or Circumscribed, Dif- 

 fused, and Specific. The disease is said to be Local when it attacks an 

 organ or definite part of the body. The effects produced on the system 

 will be severe and otherwise according to the importance of the organ 

 attacked and other circumstances. Inflammation is said to be Diffused 

 when it extends over a large tract of tissue, such, for instance, as the 

 cellular tissue, or when it has no tendency to become circumscribed. 

 Constitutional disturbance in a greater or less degree always attends 

 diffused inflammation. Specific inflammation is the term applied to 

 those cases which are caused by animal or blood poisons. 



The expression often used of " general " inflammation is not strictly 

 correct. It is simply impossible that all the vessels can at one and the 

 same time contain more than their usual quantity of blood. What is 

 termed general inflammation is in reality fever, attended by a quickened 

 state of the circulation. 



340. Acute, subacute, and chronic inflammation. 



Inflammatory attacks are also usually divided into the three heads of 

 Acute, Subacute, and Chronic. 



When the attack is sudden in its origin, violent in its action, rapid in 

 producing its effects, and attended by fever, it is said to be Acute. 

 Acute attacks are seldom of long duration. 



It is said to be Subacute when the symptoms mentioned above are less 

 marked. Such attacks are often obstinate and prolonged, and in many 

 cases produce disastrous changes of structure. 



Chronic attacks partake of the nature of subacute. The name has 

 reference to the abiding nature of the attack rather than to any other 

 features. 



No sharp line of demarcation can, however, be drawn between these 

 degrees of inflammation. They glide insensibly one into the other, 



