478 THEORY OF FEVEIt. SUP. I. 11. 6. 



every part of the body, being thus much diminished or nearly 

 destroyed, the sensorial power of association is not excited; 

 which in health contributes to move the heart and arteries, and 

 all the rest of the system; whence an universal torpor occurs. 



When the hot fit approaches, the stomach in fevers with 

 strong pulse regains its activity by the accumulation of the sen- 

 sorial power either of irritation, if it was the part first affected, 

 or of association, if it was affected in sympathy with some other 

 torpid part, as the spleen or liver; which accumulation is pro- 

 duced during its torpor. At the same time all the other parts 

 of the system acquire greater energy of action by the accumula- 

 tion of the sensorial power of association, which was produced, 

 during their inactivity in the cold fit. 



But in fevers with weak pulse the stomach, in which the sen- 

 sorial power of irritation had been previously exhausted by vio- 

 lent action, acquires no such quick accumulation of sensorial 

 power, but remains in a state of torpor after the hot fit com- 

 mences. The heart and arteries remain also in a state of torpor, 

 because there continues to be no excitement of their power of 

 association owing to the torpid motions of the stomach; but 

 hence it happens, that there exists at this time a great accumu- 

 lation of the power of association in the less active fibres of the 

 heart and arteries; which, as it is not excited and expended by 

 them, increases the associability of the next link of the associated 

 chain of motions, which consists of the capillaries or other 

 glands; and that in so great a degree as to actuate them with 

 unnatural energy, and thus to produce a perpetual hot fit of 

 fever. Because the associability of the capillaries is so much 

 increased by the accumulation of this power, owing to the lessened 

 activity of the heart and arteries, as to overbalance the less- 

 ened excitement of it by the weak movements of the heart and 

 arteries. 



6. When the accumulation of the sensorial power of irrita- 

 tion caused by defect of stimulus is greater in the first link of a 

 train of actions, to which associated motions are catenated, than 

 the deficiency of the excitement of the sensorial power of asso- 

 ciation in the next link, what happens? the superabundance of the 

 unemployed sensorial power of the first link is derived to the 

 second; the associability of which thus becomes so greatly in- 

 creased, that it acts more violently than natural, though the ex- 

 citement of its power of association by the lessened action of the 

 first link is less than natural. So that in this situation the with- 

 drawing of an accustomed stimulus in some parts of the system 

 will decrease the irritative motions of that part, and at the same 



