206 INJURIES. 



Causes of inflammation in the Vein. — Concerning the 

 exciting cause of venous inflammation, various opinions hav6 

 been offered. Obstruction of its canal has been adduced, 

 but without foundation, for ligatures on the veins are not 

 attended with serious consequences. . Exposure of its cavity- 

 has been advanced, but were this correct, we must have 

 fifty cases, where we now have one. The inflammation in 

 the vein appears to be an extension from the external wound, 

 which precedes it, though the latter effect is not always 

 followed by the former result. This may not explain why 

 inflammation of the vein is excited, it may serve to point 

 out the means of its prevention ; — the speedy closure of the 

 external wound. 



An apparent Mystery solved. — I shall mention, and 

 afterwards endeavour to account for, a circumstance which 

 has hitherto baffled all attempts at explanation. This is 

 why inflammation of the jugular vein in the horse should 

 extend towards the head or contrary to the course of the 

 circulation ; while the same disease in the human arm cor- 

 responds to the current of the blood. It appears, that 

 although obstruction does not excite this disease, it deter- 

 mines its course ; for, the disease will be found to proceed 

 that way the vein is blocked up. This point, namely, the 

 reasons which regulated the obliteration of the vein, was for- 

 merly warmly disputed. The fact, however, seems accounted 

 for by the explanation given by the editor of the recent 

 edition of ' Blaine's Veterinary Art.' The clot we are there told 

 always forms superior to the coagulum. This simple expla- 

 nation at once instructs us why the disease rises to the head 

 of the animal, when it occurs in the jugular of a horse, and 

 why it proceeds within the arm of a man to the heart. The 

 current of the blood seems to have nothing to do with the 

 matter. But phlebitis affects different creatures in different 

 ways because different vessels are punctured. Were the 

 same veins open in each the effects would be alike ; for the 

 whole appears to depend merely upon the well-known law 

 of gravitation. 



The TreatxMent must vary with the state we find the 



