. 1. 3. 6. OF SENSATION. 197 



torn of this disease, and is occasioned by the pain or soreness 

 which attends the thickened and inflamed membranes of the 

 larynx; which prevents the muscles of vocality from sufficiently 

 contracting the aperture of it. It ceases with the inflammation, 

 or may be relieved by the steam of warm water alone, or of wa- 

 ter and vinegar, or of water and ether. See Paralytic Hoarse- 

 ness, Class III. 2. 1. 4. 



6. Catarrhus contagiosus. This malady attacks so many at 

 the same time, and spreads gradually over so great an extent of 

 country, that there can be no doubt but that it is disseminated by 

 the atmosphere. In the year 1782 the sun was for many weeks 

 obscured by a dry fog, and appeared red as through a common 

 mist. The mate-rial which thus rendered the air muddy, probably 

 caused the epidemic catarrh, which prevailed in that year, and 

 which began far in the north, and extended itself over all Europe. 

 See Botanic Garden, Vol. II. note on Chunda, and Vol. I. Canto 

 IV. line 294, note; and was supposed to have been thrown out of 

 a volcano, which much displaced the country of Iceland. 



In many instances there was reason to believe that this disease 

 became contagious, as well as epidemic; that is, that one person 

 might receive it from another, as well as by the general unsalu- 

 tary influence of the atmosphere. This is difficult to compre- 

 hend, but may be conceived by considering the increase of conta- 

 gious matter in the small-pox. In that disease one particle of 

 contagious matter stimulates the skin of the arm in inoculation 

 into morbid action so as to produce a thousand particles similar 

 to .itself; the same thing occurs in catarrh, a few deleterious 

 atoms stimulate the mucous membrane of the nostrils into mor- 

 bid actions, which produce a thousand other particles similar to 

 themselves. These contagious particles diffused in the air must 

 have consisted of animal matter, otherwise how could an animal 

 body by being stimulated by them produce similar particles? 

 Could they then have had a volcanic origin, or must they not ra- 

 ther have been blown from putrid marshes full of animal matter? 

 But the greatest part of the solid earth has been made from ani- 

 mal and vegetable recrements, which may be dispersed by vol- 

 canoes. Future discoveries must answer these questions. 



As the sensitive fever attending these epidemic catarrhs is sel- 

 dom either much irritated or inirritated, venesection is not al- 

 ways either clearly indicated or forbidden; but as those who 

 have died of these catarrhs have generally had inflamed livers, 

 with consequent suppuration in them, venesection is advisable, 

 wherever the cough and fever are greater than common, so as to 

 render the use of the lancet in the least dubious. And in some 

 cases a second bleeding was necessary, and a mild cathartic or 



