RISE IN TEMPERA TURE. 327 



everywhere surrounded by nutrient pabulum, is under 

 the most favourable conditions for appropriating 

 rapidly all that lies sufficiently close to it ; it there- 

 fore rapidly increases until the adjacent pabulum is 

 exhausted. But when this happens, as no fresh 

 nutrient fluid can possibly be brought to it, the bio- 

 plasm dies, and the temperature soon falls. 



Now (as will be presently explained), there is 

 reason to think that many of our remedies act bene- 

 ficially by the direct influence they exert upon the 

 process of increase of the bioplasm in the blood and 

 in the tissues. In fever and certain low states of the 

 system, the bioplasm .of the tissues and blood in- 

 variably increases more rapidly than in health ; and, 

 as I showed many years ago, the classes of remedies 

 which experience has proved to be beneficial are 

 those which check the growth of bioplasm. Stimu- 

 lants effect this object quickly, and many of the 

 so-called tonics possess this property in a very re- 

 markable degree, though they act more slowly. 



Cold reduces the temperature, and may also be 

 instrumental in bringing about a state of things 

 unfavourable to the growth of the bioplasm, which is 

 the immediate cause of the rise. If, however, we 

 could prevent the undue growth of the living matter, 

 or check it before it has proceeded to a dangerous 

 degree, the temperature might not rise so high as to 

 render the external application of cold either neces- 

 sary or desirable. If we proceed back yet another 



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