OF PERSPIRATION. 129 



There is every reason to believe the occurrence of cutaneous 

 absorption independently of friction or abrasion of the cuticle. 

 First, the existence of absorbents all over the surface cannot be 

 intended for use merely when friction is employed or the cuticle 

 abraded. Secondly, we have many facts which prove absorption 

 without these circumstances, either by the skin or lungs or both, 

 while no reason can be given why they should be attributed 

 solely to the lungs. A boy at Newmarket who had been greatly 

 reduced before a race, was found to have gained 30 oz. in weight 

 during an hour, in which time he had only half a glass of wine.* 

 Dr. Home, after being fatigued and going to bed supperless, 

 gained 2 oz. in weight before seven in the morning.* In three 

 diabetic patients of Dr. Bardsley's, the amount of the urine ex- 

 ceeded that of the ingesta, and the body even increased in weight, 

 and in one of the instances as much as 17 lbs.f Dr. Currie 

 allows that in his patient, " The egesta exceeded the ingesta in 

 a proportion much greater than the waste of his body will ex- 

 plain." Similar facts are recorded by De Haen, Haller, &c. 

 The same patient's urine too after the daily use of the bath, 

 flowed more abundantly and became less pungent. 



* Bishop Watson, Chemical Essay*, vol. iii. p. 101. 

 f Medical Facts and Experiments. 



