448 THEORY OF FEVER. Sep. 1. 1. 5. 



ries, as appears in the sudden blush of shame; which may be 

 owing to their being more liable to perpetual varieties of activity 

 from their exposure to the vicissitudes of atmospheric heat. And 

 because in inirritative fevers, or those with arterial debility, the 

 capillaries acquire increased strength, as is evinced by the heat 

 of the skin, while the pulsations of the heart and arteries remain 

 feeble. 



5. It was said above, that the cutaneous capillaries, when 

 they \vere rendered torpid by exposure to cold, either recovered 

 their activity by the reapplication of external warmth; or by 

 their increased irritability, which is caused by the accumula- 

 tion of that sensorial power during their quiescence. An ex- 

 ample of the former of these may be seen on emerging from a 

 very cold bath; which produces a fit of simple fever; the cold 

 fit, and consequent hot fit, of which may be prolonged by con- 

 tinuing in the bath; which has indeed proved fatal to some weak 

 and delicate people, and to others after having been much ex- 

 hausted by heat and exercise. See Sect. XXXII. 3. 2. An 

 example of the latter may be taken from going into a bath of 

 about eighty degrees of heat, as into the bath at Buxton, where 

 the bather first feels a chill, and after a minute becomes warm, 

 though he remains in the same medium, owing to the increase 

 of irritability from the accumulation of that sensorial power dur- 

 ing the short time which the chilness continued. 



6. Hence simple fevers are of two kinds; first, the febris 

 irritativa, or fever with strong pulse, which consists of a previous 

 torpor of the heart, arteries, and capillaries, and a succeeding 

 orgasm of those vessels. Secondly, the febris inirritativa, or fe- 

 ver with iveak pulse, which consists of a previous torpor of the 

 heart, arteries, and capillaries; and of a succeeding orgasm of 

 the capillaries, the torpor of the heart and arteries continuing. 1 

 But as the frequency of the pulse occurs both in the state of tor- 

 por, and in that of orgasm, of the heart and arteries; this consti- 

 tutes a criterion to distinguish fever from other diseases, which 

 are owing to the torpor of some parts of the system, as paresis, 

 and hemicrania. 



7. The reader will please to observe, that where the cutane- 

 ous or pulmonary capillaries are mentioned, their mucous and 

 perspiralive glands are to be understood as included; but that 

 the absorbents belonging to those systems of vessels, and the 

 commencement of the veins, are not always included; as these 

 are liable to torpor separately, as in anasarca, and petechiae; or 

 to orgasm, or increased action, as in the exhibition of strong 

 emetics, or in the application of vinegar to the lips; yet he will 

 also please to observe, that an increased or decreased action of 



