504 THEORY OF FEVER. SUP. I. 16. 7. 



pulsation of the heart and arteries is always stronger than natural ^ 

 so as to bear the lancet at any period of the disease. 



The great mildness sometimes, and fatality at other times, of 

 the scarlet fever may depend on the same circumstance: that is, 

 on the stomach being primarily or secondarily affected by the 

 contagious matter, observing that the tonsils may be affected at 

 the same time with the stomach. Should this prove to be the 

 case, which future observations must determine, what certain ad- 

 vantage must arise from the inoculation of this disease! When 

 it is received by the skin primarily I suppose no sore throat at- 

 tends it, nor fever with weak pulse; when it is received by the 

 stomach primarily, the tonsils are affected at the same time, and 

 the torpor of the stomach produces inirritative fever, and the mor- 

 tification of the tonsils succeeds. 



We may hence conclude, that when the torpor of the stomach 

 is either owing to defect of stimulus, which is not so great as to 

 impair the life of the part, as in moderate hunger, or in swallow- 

 ing iced water, or when its torpor is induced by its catenation or 

 association with other torpid parts, as in the commencement of 

 intermittent fevers and inoculated small-pox, that the subsequent 

 action of the heart and arteries is generally increased, producing 

 irritative fever. Which is owing to the accumulation of the sen- 

 soriai power of irritation in one case, and of association in the 

 other, contributing to actuate the next link of the catenated or 

 associated motions. But when the torpor of the stomach is in- 

 duced by previous exhaustion of its sensorial powers of irritation 

 or of association by continued violent action, as by the stimulus 

 of digitalis, or of contagious matter, or after intoxication from 

 wine or opium, a weaker action of the heart and arteries suc- 

 ceeds, because there is no accumulation of sensorial power, and 

 a deficient excitement of association. And finally, as this weak 

 action of the heart and arteries is not induced by exhaustion of 

 sensorial power, but by defect of the excitement of association, 

 the accumulation of this power of association increases the ac- 

 tion of the capillaries, and thus induces inirritative fever. 



7. When any part of the system acts very violently in fevers, 

 the sensorial power of sensation is excited, which increases the 

 actions of the moving system: whereas the pain, which arises 

 from decreased irritative motions, as in hemicrania, seems to ex- 

 haust a quantity of sensorial power, without producing or in- 

 creasing any fibrous actions. 



When ihe stomach is primarily affected, as in inirritative fevers 

 from contagion, and in such a manner as to occasion pain, the 

 action of the capillaries seems to be increased by this additional 



