498 THEORY OF FEVfiR- SUP. 1. 16. 1. 



By thus whirling the patient with increasing velocity sleep 

 might be produced, and probably the violence of the actions of 

 the heart and arteries might be diminished in inflammatory fevers; 

 and, as it is believed, that no accumulation of sensorial power 

 would succeed a torpor of the origin of the nerves, either thus pro- 

 cured by mechanical compression, or by the bladder-cap of cold 

 water above described, the lives of thousands might probably be 

 saved by thus extinguishing the exacerbations of febrile pa- 

 roxysms, or preventing the returns of them. 



In fevers with weak pulse, sleep, or a degree of stupor, thus 

 produced, might prevent the too great expenditure of sensorial 

 power, and thus continue to preserve the patient. See Class I. 

 2. 5. 10. on stupor. What might be the consequence of whirl- 

 ing a person with his head next the centre of motion, so as to 

 force the blood from the brain into the other parts of the body, 

 might be discovered by cautious experiment without danger, aad 

 might probably add to our ability of curing fever. 



Mr. Kelly, in his Observations on Compression, Edinb 1797, 

 asserts, that by compressing the two subclavian arteries, as they 

 pass over the first rib, more blood will compress the brain, and 

 produce a kind of apoplectic state, similar to that which may 

 occur by the centrifugal force, if the patient was whirled round 

 as above described. And adds, that by this compression of the 

 two subclavian arteries a greater quantity of blood will be circu- 

 lated through the head, whence the patient soon complains of 

 drowsiness and vertigo; and that hence different species of 

 head-achs are soon removed, especially those which depend on 

 defect of stimulation. 



XVI. Recapitulation. 



1. The sensorial power causes the contraction of the fibres, 

 and is excited into action by four different circumstances, by the 

 stimulus of external bodies, by pain or pleasure, by desire or 

 aversion, or by the previous motions of other contracting fibres. 

 In the first situation it is called the sensorial power of irritation, 

 in the second the sensorial power of sensation, in the third the 

 sensorial power of volition, and in the fourth the sensorial power 

 of association. 



Many parts of the body are excited into perpetual action, as 

 the sanguiferous vessels, consisting of the heart, arteries, and 

 veins; others into nearly perpetual action, as the conglomerate 

 and capillary glands; and others into actions still somewhat 

 less frequent, as the alimentary canal, and the lacteal and 

 lymphatic absorbents with their conglobate glands; all these arc 



