370 POISONS, CONTAGIONS, MIASMS. 



each individual part of it. Hence there must be 

 a much larger quantity of foreign substances, not 

 belonging to the organism, diffused through every 

 part of the blood in the body of a young individual. 



When the organs of secretion are in proper action, 

 these substances will be removed from the system ; 

 but when the functions of those organs are impeded, 

 they will remain in the blood or become accumu- 

 lated in particular parts of the body. The skin, 

 lungs, and other organs, assume the functions of 

 the diseased secreting organs, and the accumulated 

 substances are eliminated by them. If, when thus 

 exhaled, they happen to be in the state of progres- 

 sive transformation, these substances are conta- 

 gious, that is, they are able to produce the same 

 state of disease in another healthy organism, pro- 

 vided the latter organism is susceptible of their 

 action or in other words, contains a matter cap- 

 able of suffering the same process of decomposi- 

 tion.* 



The production of matters of this kind, which 

 render the body susceptible of contagion, may be 

 occasioned by the manner of living, or by the nu- 

 triment taken by an individual. A superabundance 

 of strong and otherwise wholesome food may pro- 

 duce them, as well as a deficiency of nutriment, 



* Cold meat is always in a state of decomposition, that is, in a state 

 of eremacausis ; it is possible that this state may be communicated to 

 the system of a feeble individual, and may be one of the sources of 

 consumption. 



