488 THEORY OF FEVER. Str. I. 12. 12. 



whence long sickness, or continued fever, because the quantity 

 of sensorial power already wasted must first be renewed, before 

 an accumulation of it can be produced. 



12. This leads us to a second indication of cure in continued 

 fevers, which consists in strengthening the actions of the stomach; 

 as the first indication consisted in decreasing the actions of the 

 cutaneous capillaries and absorbents. The actions of the sto- 

 mach may sometimes be increased by exhibiting a mild emetic; 

 as an accumulation of sensorial power in the fibres of the stomach 

 is produced during their retrograde actions. Besides the evacua- 

 tion of any noxious material from the stomach, and duodenum, 

 and from the absorbents, which open their mouths on their in- 

 ternal surfaces, by their retrograde motion. 



It is probable, that when mild emetics are given, as ipecacu- 

 anha, or antimonium tartarisatum, or infusion of camomile, 

 they are rejected by an inverted motion of the stomach and 

 esophagus in consequence of disagreeable sensation, as dust is 

 excluded from the eye; and these actions having by previous 

 habit been found effectual, and that hence there is no exhaustion 

 of the sensorial power of irritation. But where strong emetics 

 are administered, as digitalis, or contagious matter, the previous 

 exhaustion of the sensorial power of irritation seems to be a 

 cause of the continued retrograde actions and sickness of the 

 stomach. An emetic of the former kind may therefore strength- 

 en the power of the stomach immediately after its operation by 

 the accumulation of sensorial power of irritation during its ac- 

 tion. See Class IV. 1. 1. 



Another method of decreasing the action of the stomach for a 

 time, and thence of increasing it afterwards, is by the accumu- 

 lation of the sensorial power of irritation during its torpor; is by 

 giving ice, iced water, iced creams, or iced wine. This ac- 

 counts for the pleasure, which many people in fevers with weak 

 pulse express on drinking cold beverage of any kind. 



A second method of exciting the stomach into action, and of 

 decreasing that of the capillaries in consequence, is by the stimu- 

 lus of wine, opium, bark, metallic salts of antimony, steel, cop- 

 per, arsenic, given in small repeated quantities; which so long 

 as they render the pulse slower are certainly of service, and may 

 be given warm or cold, as most agreeable to the patient. For it 

 is possible that the capillaries of the stomach may act too vio- 

 lently, and produce heat, at the same time that the large muscles 

 of it may be in a torpid state; which curious circumstance fu- 

 ture observations must determine. 



Thirdly. Hot fomentation on the region of the stomach 

 might be of most essential service by its stimulus, as heat pene- 



