CLASS 1. 2. 2. 14. OF IRRITATION. 71 



14. [nnutritio ossium. Innutrition of the bones. Not only 

 the blood effused in vibices and petechise, or from bruises, as 

 well as the blood and new vessels in inflamed parts, are re-ab- 

 sorbed by the increased action of the lymphatics; but the harder 

 materials which constitute the fangs of the first set of teeth, and 

 the ends of exfoliating bones, and sometimes the matter of chalk- 

 stones in the gout, the coagulable lymph, which is deposited on 

 the lungs, or on the muscles after inflammation of those parts, 

 and which frequently produces difficulty of breathing, and the 

 pains of chronic rheumatism, and lastly the earthy part of the 

 living bones are dissolved and absorbed by the increased actions 

 of this system of vessels. See Sect. XXXIII. 3. 1. 



The earthy part of bones in this disease of the nutrition of 

 them seems to suffer a solution, and reabsorption; while the 

 secerning vessels do not supply a sufficient quantity of calcareous 

 earth and phosphoric acid, which constitute the substance of 

 bones. As calcareous earth abounds every where, is the want of 

 phosphoric acid the remote cause? One cause of this malady is 

 given in the Philosophic Transactions, where the patient had 

 been accustomed to drink large quantities of vinegar. Two cases 

 are described by Mr. Gouch. In one case, which I saw, a con- 

 siderable quantity of calcareous earth, and afterwards of bone- 

 ashes, and of decoction of madder, and also of sublimate of 

 mercury, were given without effect. All the bones became soft, 

 many of them broke, and the patient seemed to die from the 

 want of being able to distend her chest owing to the softness of 

 the ribs. 



M. M. Salt of urine, called sal microcosmicum, phosphorated 

 soda. Calcined hartshorn. Bone-ashes. Hard or petrifying 

 water, as that of Matlock, or such as is found in all limestone 

 or marly countries. The calcareous earth in these waters might 

 possibly be carried to the bones, as madder is known to colour 

 them. Warm bath. Volatile or fixed alkali as a lotion on the 

 spine, or essential oils. 



The innutrition of the bones is often first to be perceived by 

 the difficulty of breathing and palpitation of the heart on walking 

 a little faster than usual, which I suppose is owing to the soft- 

 ness of the ends of the ribs adjoining to the sternum; on which 

 account they do not perfectly distend the chest, when they are 

 raised by the pectoral and intercostal muscles with greater force 

 than usual. After this the spine becomes curved "both by the 

 softness of its vertebrae, and for the purpose of making room for 

 the disturbed heart. See Species 16 of this Genus. 



As these patients are pale and weak, there would seem to be 

 a. deficiency of oxy gene in their blood, and in consequence a defi- 



