SUP. I. 16. 9. THEORY OP FEVER, 507 



sensorial power by great previous exertions of some parts of the 

 system, as of the limbs by great labour or exercise, or of the 

 stomach by great stimulus, as by contagious matter swallowed 

 with the saliva, or by much wine or opium previously taken into 

 it. Or lastly, a torpor of a part may be occasioned by someme*- 

 chanic injury, as by a compression of the nerves of the part, or 

 of their origin in the brain; as the sitting long with one leg 

 crossed over the other occasions numbness, and as a torpor of the 

 stomach with vomiting frequently precedes paralytic strokes of 

 the limbs. 



As sleep is produced, either by defect of stimulus, or by pre- 

 vious exhaustion of sensorial power; so the accumulation of the 

 sensorial power of volition in those muscles and organs of sense, 

 which are generally obedient to it, awakens the sleeping person; 

 when it has increased the quantity of voluntarity so much as to 

 overbalance the defect of stimulus in one case, and the exhaus- 

 tion of sensorial power in the other; which latter requires a 

 much longer time of sleep than the former. So the cold pa- 

 roxysm of fever is produced either by defect of stimulus, or by 

 previous exhaustion of the sensorial power of some part of the 

 system; and the accumulation of the sensorial power of irrita- 

 tion in that part renews the action of it, when it has increased 

 its irritability so much as to overbalance the defect of stimulus 

 in one case, and the exhaustion of sensorial power in the other; 

 which latter requires a much longer torpor or cold fit than the 

 former. 



But in the cold paroxysm of fever, besides the torpor of one 

 part of the system from defect of irritation, the remainder of it 

 becomes torpid owing to defect of excitement of the sensorial 

 power of association by the lessened action of the part first af- 

 fected. This torpor of the general system remains, till the ac- 

 cumulation of the sensorial power of association has increased 

 the associability so much as to overbalance the defect of the ex- 

 citement of association; then the torpor ceases, and if the first 

 affected part has recovered its activity, the other parts are all 

 thrown into excess of action by their increased associability, and 

 the hot fit of fever is produced. 



9. In the continued fevers with strong pulse the stomach is 

 affected secondarily, and thus acts feebly from deficient excite- 

 ment of the power of association; but the accumulation of the 

 power of association thus produced in an organ subject to perpe- 

 tual and energetic action, is so great as to affect the next link of 

 the associate train, which consists of the heart aiad arteries; these 

 therefore are exerted perpetually with increase of action. 



In continued fevers with weak pulse the torpid stomach is 



