484 THEORY OF FEVER. SUP. I. 12. 9, 



9. This doctrine of reverse sympathy enables ns to account 

 for that difficult problem, why in continued fevers the increased 

 action of the cutaneous, cellular, and pulmonary capillaries pro- 

 ceeds without interruption or return of cold fit; though perhaps, 

 with some exacerbations and remissions; and that during a quar- 

 ter, or half, or three-quarters, or a whole lunation; while at the 

 same time the pulsations of the heart and arteries are weaker 

 than natural. 



To this should be added the direct sympathy, which exists be- 

 tween the peristaltic motions of the fibres of the stomach, and 

 the pulsations of the heart. And that the stomach has become 

 torpid by the too great stimulus of some poisonous or contagious 

 matter; and this very intricate idea of continued fever with fee- 

 ble pulse is reduced to curious simplicity. 



The direct sympathy of the stomach and heart and arteries 

 not only appears from the stronger and slower pulse of persons 

 exhausted by fatigue, after they have drunk a glass of wine, and 

 eaten a few mouthfuls; but appears also from the exhibition of 

 large doses of digitalis; when the patient labours under great 

 and incessant efforts to vomit, at the same time that the actions 

 of the absorbent system are known to be much increased by the 

 hasty absorption of the serous fluid in anasarca, the pulsations of 

 the heart become slow and intermittent to an alarming degree. 

 See Class IV. 2. I. 17. and 18. 



10. It would assist us much in the knowledge and cure of fe- 

 vers, if we could always determine, which part of the system 

 was primarily affected; and whether the torpor of it was from 

 previous excess or defect of stimulus; which the industry of fu- 

 ture observers must discover. Thus, if the stomach be affected 

 primarily, and that by previous excess of stimulus, as when cer- 

 tain quantities of opium, or wine, or blue-vitriol, or arsenic, are 

 swallowed, it is some time in recovering the quantity of sensorial 

 power previously exhausted by excess of stimulus, before any 

 accumulation of it can occur. But if it be affected with torpor 

 secondarily, by sympathy with some distant part; as with the 

 torpid capillaries of the skin, that is by defective excitement of 

 the sensorial power of association; or if it be affected by defect 

 of stimulus of food or of heat; it sooner acquires so much ac- 

 cumulation of sensorial power, as to be enabled to accommodate 

 itself to its lessened stimulus by increase of its irritability. 



Thus in the hemicrania the torpor generally commences in a 

 diseased tooth, and the membranes about the temple, and also 

 those of the stomach become torpid by direct synchronus sym- 

 pathy; and pain of the head; and sickness supervene; but no 

 fever or quickness of pulse. In this case the torpor of the sto- 



