Scr. 1. 16. 7, THEORY OF FEVER. 505 



sensorial power of sensation, whence extensive inflammation or 

 mortification; but when the stomach and consequently the heart 

 and arteries continue their torpidity of action; as in confluent 

 small-pox, and fatal scarlatina; this constitutes sensitive inirrita- 

 tive fever> or typhus gravior. 



But when the stomach is secondarily affected, if the sensorial 

 power of sensation is excited, as in pleurisy or peripneumony, 

 the actions of the heart and arteries are violently increased, and 

 of all the moving system along with them. Thus the peripneu- 

 mony is generally induced by the patient respiring very cold air, 

 and this especially after being long confined to warm air, or after 

 being much fatigued and heated by excessive labour or exer- 

 cise. For we can cover the skin with more clothes, when we 

 feel ourselves cold; but the lungs not having the perception of 

 cold, we do not think of covering thpni, nor have the power to 

 cover them if we desired it; and the torpor thus produced is 

 greater, or of longer duration, in proportion to the previous ex- 

 penditure of sensorial power by heat or exercise. 



This torpor of the lungs affects the skin with shuddering, and 

 the stomach is also secondarily affected; next follows the violent 

 action of the lungs from the accumulation of the power of irri- 

 tation, and an inflammation of them follows this violent action. 

 While the stomach recovers its activity by the increase of the 

 excitement of the sensorial power of association, and along with 

 it the heart and arteries, and the whole moving system. Hence 

 this inflammation occurs during the hot fit of fever, and no cold 

 fit succeeds, because the excess of the sensorial power of sensa- 

 tion prevents a succeeding torpor. 



These new motions of certain parts of the system produce in- 

 creased secretions of nutritious or organic mucus, which forms 

 new vessels; these new vessels by their unusual motions produce 

 new kinds of fluids, which are termed contagious, because they 

 have the power, when introduced into a healthy body, of pro- 

 ducing similar actions and effects, with or without fever, as in 

 the small-pox and measles, or in the itch and venereal disease. 



If any of these contagious matters affect the stomach with tor- 

 por either by their stimulus immediately applied, or by its sym- 

 pathy with the parts first diseased, a fever is produced with sick- 

 ness and want of appetite; as in small-pox and scarlatina. If 

 the stomach is not affected by contagious matter, no fever suc- 

 ceeds, as an itch, tinea, syphilis. 



All these contagious matters are conceived to be harmless, till 

 they have been exposed to the air, either openly or through a 

 moist membrane; from which they are believed to acquire oxy- 

 gene, and thence to become some kinds of animal acids. As 



VOL, II. 3 T 



