COMATA. 357 



6. The essential oils of turpentine, or of other such resinous 

 substances. 



7- The distilled oils of amber, or of other bituminous fossils. 



8. The rectified empyreumatic oils of animal or vegetable sub- 

 stances. 



9. Various vegetable acrids, particularly mustard. 



10. The acrid matter found in several insects, particularly 

 cantharides. 



Some of these stimulants may be either applied in substance, 

 or may be dissolved in ardent spirits, by which their stimulant 

 power may be increased, or more conveniently applied. 



MCLXII. The greater part of the substances now enumer- 

 ated, show their stimulant power by inflaming the skin of the 

 part to which they are applied ; and when their application is 

 so long continued as to produce this effect, it interrupts the con- 

 tinuance of their use ; and the inflammation of the part does not 

 seem to do so much good as the frequent repetition of a more 

 moderate stimulus. 



MCLXIII. Analogous to these stimulants is the stinging of 

 nettles, which has been frequently commended. 



Among the external stimulants, the mechanical one of fric- 

 tion with the naked hand, the flesh brush, or flannel, is justly to 

 be reckoned. Can the impregnation of the flannels to be em- 

 ployed, with the fumes of burning mastic, olibanum, &c. be of 

 any service ? 



MCLXIV. With respect to the whole of these external sti- 

 mulants, it is to be observed, that they affect the part to which 

 they are applied much more than they do the whole system, and 

 they are therefore indeed safer in ambiguous cases ; but, for the 

 same reason, they are of less efficacy in curing a general affec- 

 tion. 



MCLXV. The external applications which may be applied 

 to affect the whole system, are the powers of heat and cold, and 

 of electricity. 



Heat, as one of the most powerful stimulants of the animal 



momy, has been often employed in palsies, especially by warm 



ithing. But as, both by stimulating the solids, and rarefying 

 the fluids, this proves a strong stimulus to the sanguiferous sys- 

 tem, it is often an ambiguous remedy ; and has frequently been 



