OF FARRIEK^ 



16/5 



state of the body. Even were a general dis- 

 order of" this kind to be admitted, no rational 

 explanation of the proximate cause of local 

 inflammation could be deduced from it. 



According to the opinion of one of our best 

 authors, inflammation is to be considered only 

 as a disturbed state of parts which requires a 

 new but salutary mode of action, to restore 

 them to that state wherein a natural mode of 

 action alone is necessary. From such a view 

 of the subject, therefore, inflammation in itself 

 is not to be considered as a disease, but as a 

 salutary operation, consequent either to some 

 violence, or some disease. Elsewhere the 

 author remarks : the act of inflammation is to 

 be considered as an increased action of the 

 vessels, which at first consists simply in an 

 increase or distention beyond their natural 

 aize. This increase seems to depend upon a 

 diminution of the muscular povver of the ves- 

 sels, at the same time that the elastic power 

 of the artery must be dilated in the same 

 proportion. This is, therefore, something 

 more than simply a common relaxation; we 

 must suppose it an action in the parts to pro- 

 duce an increase of size to answer particular 

 purposes ; and this the author would call an 

 act of dilatation. The whole is to be con- 

 sidered as a necessary operation of Nature. 

 Owing to this dilatation, there is a greater 

 quantity of blood circulating in the part, 

 which is according to the common rules of 

 the animal economy ; for whenever a part has 

 more to do than simply to support itself, the 

 blood is there collected in a larger quantity ; and 

 Nature never errs The swelling is produced 

 by an extravasation of coagulable lymph, with 

 some serum ; but the lymph differs from the 

 - ommon lymph, in consequence of passing 

 through the inflamed vessels. It is this lymph 



which becomes the uniting medium of inflamed 

 parts ; vessels shoot into it, and it has e\('n 

 the power of becoming vascular itself. Vhe 

 pain proceeds from spasm. When a part 

 cannot be restored to health, after injury by 

 inflammation alone, or by adhesion, then sup- 

 puration, as a preparatory step to the formation 

 of granulations, and the consequent restoration 

 of the part takes place. 



An increased action of the vessels is now 

 almost universally regarded as the proximate 

 cause of inflammation. This opinion is greativ 

 supported from a review of the several exist- 

 ing causes of the affection, which being in 

 general of an irritating nature, must, when 

 applied to any living or sensible parts, occa- 

 sion a preternatural exertion of the vesseix 

 The method of cure, as we shall presently 

 see, tends also to confirm the doctrine, wiln 

 respect to the cause of inflammation. 



SYMPTOMS OF INFLAMMATION FURTHEK 

 CONSIDERED. 



The essential symptoms are swelling, heat, 

 and pain. Swelling. — This effect arises from 

 several causes : First, the increased quantity 

 of blood in the vessels. Secondly, the eff'usioa 

 of coagulating lymph and deposition of a new 

 matter. Thirdly, the interruption or debility 

 of the absorbents to perform their office oi 

 functions. 



Heat. — It was formerly imagined by many 

 who wrote after the discovery of the circula- 

 tion of the blood, that the heat was produced 

 by the attraction of the red globules again.st 

 the sides of the vessels. Modern philosophy 

 now, however, teaches us, that a fluid may 

 flow with the utmost velocity through a pipe, 

 for a thousand years, without producing a 

 single particle of heat. The most com mo ijr 

 2 T 



