SUP. I. 16. 6. THEORY OF FEVER. 503 



association, which contributes along with the irritation caused by 

 their specific stimuli to actuate the whole sanguiferous, secerning, 

 and absorbent vessels; and along with these the stomach, which 

 possesses perhaps greater mobility, or promptitude to torpor or 

 to orgasm, than any other part. And after a time all these parts 

 recover their actions by the accumulation of their sensorial power 

 of association. But the spleen not recovering its action from 

 the accumulation of its power of irritation, as appeared from the 

 continuance of the tumour, still affects the stomach by its defec- 

 tive irritative motions ceasing to excite the association, which 

 ought to contribute to actuate it. 



Hence the stomach continues torpid in respect to its motions, 

 but accumulates its power of association; which is not excited 

 into action by the defective motions of the spleen; this accumu- 

 lation of the sensorial power of association now by its super- 

 abundance actuates the next link of associate motions, which 

 consists of the heart and arteries, into greater energy of action 

 than natural, and thus causes fever with strong pulse; which, as 

 it was supposed to be most frequently excited by increase of 

 irritation, is called irritative fever, or synocha. 



Similar to this in the small pox, which is given by inocula- 

 tion, the stomach is affected secondarily, when the fever com- 

 mences; and hence in this small-pox the pulsations of the heart 

 and arteries are frequently stronger than natural, but never 

 weaker, for the reasons above given. Whereas in that small- 

 pox, which is caused by the stomach being primarily affected, 

 by the contagious matter being swallowed with the saliva, 

 whether the tonsils are at the same time affected or not, the pul- 

 sations of the heart and arteries become weak, and the inirri- 

 tative fever is produced, as explained above, along with the 

 confluent small-pox. This unfolds the cause of the mildness of 

 the inoculated small-pox; because in this disease the stomach 

 is affected secondarily, whereas in the natural small-pox it is 

 frequently affected primarily by swallowing the contagious matter 

 mixed with saliva. 



In the measles I suppose the contagious matter to be dissolved 

 in the air, and therefore not liable to be mixed with the saliva; 

 whereas the variolous matter is probably only diffused in the air, 

 and thence more readily mixed with the saliva in the mouth dur- 

 ing respiration. This difference appears more probable, as the 

 small-pox I believe is always taken at a less distance from the 

 diseased person than is necessary to acquire the measles. The 

 contagion of the measles affects the membranes of the nostrils, 

 and the secretion of tears in consequence, but never I suspect 

 the stomach primarily, but always secondarily; whence the 



