500 THEORY OF FEVER, Sur.I. 16. 3. 



of sensorial power sufficient for the purpose of renewing their own 

 natural quantity of action; but are nevertheless not so torpid, as 

 to have the life of the part impaired. In this situation, the su- 

 perabundance of the accumulated power of irritation contributes 

 to actuate the associate motions next catenated with them. Thus, 

 when a person breathes air with less oxygene than natural, as by 

 covering his head in bed, and thus respiring the same atmosphere 

 repeatedly, the heart and arteries become less active by defect of 

 the stimulus of oxygene; and then the accumulation of senso- 

 rial power of irritation becomes instantly very great, as these or- 

 gans are subject to perpetual and energetic action. This accu- 

 mulation, nevertheless, is not so great as to renew their own ac- 

 tivity under this defect of stimulus, but yet is in sufficient abun- 

 dance to increase the associability of the next link of catenation, 

 that is, to actuate the capillaries of the skin with great and per- 

 petual increase of energy. This resembles continued fever, with 

 weak pulse; in which the accumulation of the sensorial power 

 caused by the lessened motions of the heart and arteries, actuates 

 the capillaries with increase of energy. 



3. When the accumulation of the sensorial power of associ- 

 ation, which is caused, as above explained, by deficient excite- 

 ment, owing to the lessened quantity of action of the irritative 

 fibrous motions, with which the associate train is catenated, is 

 not in quantity sufficient to renew the natural actions of the first 

 Jink of an associate train of motions; it is nevertheless fre- 

 quently so abundant as to actuate the next link of the associated 

 train with unnatural energy, by increasing its associability; and 

 that in a still greater degree, if that second link of the associated 

 train was previously in a torpid state, that is, had previously ac- 

 quired some accumulation of the sensorial power of association. 

 This important circumstance of the animal economy is worthy 

 our most accurate attention. Thus if the heart and arteries are 

 deprived of their due quantity of the stimulus of oxygene in the 

 blood, a weak and quick pulse ensues, with an accumulation of 

 the sensorial power of irritation; next follows an increase of the 

 action of the capillaries by the superabundance of this accumu- 

 lated power of irritation; but there also exists an accumulation 

 of the power of association in these acting capillaries, which is 

 not now excited by the deficient actions of the heart and arte- 

 ries; but which, by its abundance, contributes to actuate the 

 next link of association, which is the sick stomach in the case 

 related from Sydenham in Class IV. 1. t. 2. and explained in 

 this Supplement I. 4. And as this sick stomach was in a pre- 

 vious state of torpor, it might at the same time possess an accu- 

 mulation of some sensorial power, which, if it was of association. 



