98 DISEASES CLASS 1. 2. 3. 21, 



kind, as the variolous and venereal matter, when absorbed in a 

 wound, produce this torpor, and consequent inflammation of 

 those lymphatic glands, where they first arrive, as in the axilla 

 and groin. There is reason to suspect, that the tonsils frequent- 

 ly become inflamed, and suppurate from the matter absorbed 

 from carious teeth ; and I saw a young lady, who had both the 

 axillary glands swelled, and which suppurated ; which was be- 

 lieved to have been caused by her wearing a pair of new green 

 gloves for one day, when she had perspired much, and was much 

 exhausted and fatigued by walking; the gloves were probably 

 died in a solution of verditer. 



These indolent tumours of the lymphatic glands, which con- 

 stitute the scrofula, originate from the inirritability of those 

 glands ; which therefore sooner fall into torpor after having 

 been stimulated too violently by some poisonous material; as 

 the muscles of enfeebled people sooner become fatigued, and 

 eease to act, when exerted, than those of stronger ones. On the 

 same account these scrofulus glands are much longer in acquir- 

 ing increase of motion, after having been stimulated into in- 

 activity, and either remain years in a state of indolence, or sup- 

 purate with difficulty, and sometimes .only partially. 



The difference between scrofulus tumours, and those before 

 described, consists in this; that in those, either glands of differ- 

 ent kinds were diseased, or the mouths only of the lymphatic 

 -glands were become torpid; whereas in scrofula the conglobate 

 glands themselves become tumid, and generally suppurate after 

 a great length of time, when they acquire new sensibility. 

 See Sect. XXXIX. 4. 5. 



These indolent tumours may be brought to suppurate some- 

 times by passing electric shocks through them every day for two 

 or three weeks, as I have witnessed. It is probable, that the al- 

 ternate application of snow or iced water to them, till they be- 

 come painfully cold, and then of warm flannel or warm water, 

 frequently repeated, might restore their irritability by accummula- 

 tion of sensorial power; and thence either facilitate their disper- 

 sion, or occasion them to suppurate. See Class II. 1.4. 13. 



This disease is very frequent amongst the children of the poor 

 in large towns, who are in general ill fed, ill lodged, and ill cloth- 

 ed; and who are further weakened by eating much salt with 

 their scanty meal of insipid vegetable food, whieh is seldom of 

 better quality than water gruel, with a little coarse bread in it. 

 See diarrhoea of infants, Class I. I. 2. 5. Scrofulus ulcers are 

 difficult to heal, which is owing to the deficiency of absorption 

 on their pale and flabby surfaces, and to the general inirritability 

 of the system. See Class I. 1. 3. 13. 



