TREATMENT. 65 



such as the sulphate and sesquichloride of iron, nitric and 

 hydrochloric acids, and a host of other remedies that will 

 occur to every one, possess this property, and render solu- 

 tions containing these and allied substances less permeable, 

 perhaps by increasing their viscidity. The favourable action 

 of such remedies is probably due to their direct influence 

 on the fluid constituents of the blood. They, no doubt, 

 also reduce the rate at which blood-corpuscles are disinte- 

 grated, and at the same time they tend to render the walls 

 of the blood-vessels less permeable to fluids. 



But, of all remedies, I believe alcohol acts most rapidly 

 in this way, and in these particular cases most efficiently. 

 The properties alcohol possesses of hardening animal tis- 

 sues, and of coagulating albuminous fluids, are well known; 

 and these properties must not be forgotten when its effects 

 in the animal body are discussed. Of course, when ab- 

 sorbed by the blood, it does not actually coagulate the 

 albuminous matters j but it probably renders them less fluid, 

 and reduces their permeating property. It prevents the 

 growth and multiplication of germinal matter and probably 

 interferes with the multiplication of white blood corpuscles. 

 Alcohol also tends to prevent the disintegration of red 

 blood-corpuscles ; and in cases where this is going on very 

 rapidly, and where fluid is passing through the walls of the 

 vessels in considerable quantity, in consequence of the walls 

 themselves being stretched and too readily permeable to 

 fluids, alcohol is likely to be of service ; but where these 

 changes are occurring very rapidly, and the patient's strength 

 is fast ebbing, it may save life. 



Alkalies, on the other hand, tend to render formed 



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