

SUP. I. 1. 3. THEORY OF FEVER. 447 



of the heart and arteries; and afterwards of an increased ac- 

 tion of all these vessels, by what is termed direct sympathy. 



This fever, with strong pulse, without inflammation, or febris 

 irritativa, described in Class I. 1. 1. 1. is frequently seen in ver- 

 nal intermittents, as the orgasm of the heart and arteries is then 

 occasioned by their previous state of torpor; but more rarely I 

 believe exists in the type of continued fever, except there be an 

 evident remission, or approximation to a cold fit; at which time 

 a new accumulation of the sensorial power of association is pro- 

 duced; which afterwards actuates the heart arid arteries with 

 unnatural vigour; or unless there be some stimulus perpetually 

 acting on the system, so as to induce an increased secretion of 

 sensorial power in the brain, as occurs in slight degrees of intoxi- 

 cation. Since without one or other of these circumstances in 

 continued fevers without inflammation, that is, without the ad- 

 ditional sensorial power of sensation being introduced, it seems 

 difficult to account for the production of so great a quantity of 

 sensorial power, as must be necessary to give perpetual increase 

 of action to the whole sanguiferous system. 



3. On the contrary, while the cutaneous capillaries with their 

 mucous and perspirative glands acquire an increased irritability, 

 as above, by the accumulation of that sensorial power during 

 their previous quiescence, and thus constitute the hot fit of fe- 

 ver; if the heart and arteries do not acquire any increase of asso- 

 ciability, but continue in their state of torpor, another kind of 

 simple fever is produced; which is generally of the continued 

 kind, and is termed febris inirritativa; which consists of a pre- 

 vious torpor of the capillaries of the skin, and of the heart and 

 arteries by direct sympathy with them; and afterwards of an 

 orgasm or increased action of the capillaries of the skin, with a 

 decreased action, or continued torpor, of the heart and arteries 

 by reverse sympathy with them. This orgasm of the cutaneous 

 capillaries, which appears by the blush and heat of the skin, is 

 at first owing to the accumulation of the sensorial power of irri- 

 tation during their previous torpid state, as in the febris irritala 

 above described; but which is afterwards supported or continued 

 by the reverse sympathy of these capillaries with the torpid state 

 of the heart and arteries, as will be further explained in article 

 8. of this Supplement. 



4. The renovated activity of the capillaries commences 3s 

 soon or sooner than that of the heart and arteries after the cold 

 fit of irritative fever; and is not owing to their being forced 

 open 1?y the blood being impelled into them mechanically, by 

 the renovated action of the heart and arteries; for these capil- 

 laries of the skin have greater mobility than the heart and arte- 



