Human Physiology. 



ened colour, the burning heat, the anxiety, distress and pain, 

 the furred tongue, the thirst, the weakness, and all the struggle, 

 as if the forces of life were contending with the forces of death. 

 There are pains in the bones and muscles, a cold shivering, a 

 hot flush with suffused eyes and reddened cheeks, perhaps 

 delirium, parched lips, no appetite, foetid exhalations, profuse 

 sweats, and this goes on for days, until nature or the disease 

 triumphs. The fever ends, the patient is as weak as an infant, 

 and slowly recovers. Of the action of the nervous system of 

 organic life we know no more in disease than we know in 

 health. All the phenomena, however, point to the probability 

 of a contest between the vital forces of the organic nerves and 

 something which was clogging, oppressing, or poisoning the 

 sources of life. And in every disease there is more or less ot 

 this contest an effort, more or less painful, for cure. 



As the body is formed, built up from its primitive cell, and 

 reformed from day to day by the action of the nerves of organic 

 life, we must look upon this primary and underlying system of 

 nerves as the centre of diseased condition and action. As 

 health is the result of the purity and vigour of this central 

 vitality, all disease must be a weakened condition of these 

 nerves, or their invasion and oppression by what, for the lack 

 of more definite knowledge, we must call morbific agencies. 

 These nerves, gathering in great centres, as around the heart, 

 stomach, and pelvic viscera, carry on all vital processes. But, 

 in proportion to their complexity and delicacy is their suscep- 

 tibility to injury, paralysis, and death. A blow at the pit of 

 the stomach may suddenly kill, by the shock given to one of 

 these nervous centres. A stroke of lightning kills in the same 

 manner. A drop of certain poisons will do the same. The 

 danger in taking chloroform is that these nerves may be para- 

 lysed, as well as the brain and nerves of sensation. Sudden 

 emotions of joy and grief kill by the shock communicated from 

 the animal to the organic nervous system. And painful and 



