SECT. XXIX. 5. i. ABSORBENTS. 255 



whence the urine becomes (till lefs in quantity, and of a deeper 

 colour, and turbid like the yolk of an egg, owing to a greater ab- 

 forption of its thinner parts. From this dronger action of thofe 

 abforbents, which (till retain their irritability, the fat is alfo ab- 

 forbed, and the whole body becomes emaciated. This increafed 

 exertion of fome branches of the lymphatics, while others are 

 totally or partially paralytic, is refembled by what conftantly oc- 

 curs in the hemiplegia ; when the patient has loft the ufeof the 

 limbs on one fide, he is inceflantly moving thofe of the other ; 

 for the moving power, not having accefs to the paralytic limbs, 

 becomes redundant in thofe which are not difeafed. 



The paucity of urine and third cannot be explained from a 

 greater quantity of mucilaginous fluid being depofited in the 

 cellular membrane : for though thefe fymptoms have continued 

 many weeks, or even months, this collection frequently does 

 not amount to more than very few pints. Hence alfo the dif- 

 ficulty of promoting copious fweats in anafarca is accounted for, 

 as well as the great third, paucity of urine, and lofs of fat ; fince, 

 when the cutaneous branch of abforbents is paralytic, or nearly 

 fo, there is already too fmall a quantity of aqueous fluid in the 

 blood : nor can thefe torpid cutaneous lymphatics be readily ex- 

 cited into retrograde motions. 



Hence like wife we underftand, why in the afcites, and fome 

 other dropfies, there is often no third, and no paucity of urine ; 

 in thefe cafes the cutaneous abforbents continue to do their office. 



Some have believed, that dropfies were occafioned by the in- 

 ability of the kidneys, from having only obferved the paucity of 

 urine ; and have thence laboured much to obtain diuretic medi- 

 cines ; but it is daily obfervable, that thofe who die of a total in- 

 ability to make water, do not become dropfical in confequence 

 of it : Fernelius mentions one, who laboured under a perfect fup- 

 prefllon of urine during twenty days before his death, and yet 

 had no fymptoms of clropfy.. Pathol. 1. vi. c. 8. From the 

 fame idea many phyficians have redrained their patients from 

 drinking, though their third has been very urgent ; and fome 

 cafes have been published, where this cruel regimen has been 

 thought advantageous : but others of nicer obfervation are of 

 opinion, that it has always aggravated thedidreiies of the patient; 

 and though it has abated his fwellings, yet by inducing a fever it 

 has hadened his diflblution. See Tranfattions of the College, 

 London, vol. ii. p. 235. Cafes of Dropfy by Dr. G. Baker. 



The cure of anafarca, fo far as rclpefts the evacuation of the 

 accumulated fluid, coincides with the idea of the retrograde ac- 

 tion of the lymphatic fydem. It is \vell known that vomits, and 

 other drugs, which induce fickneis or naufea, at the fame time 



that 



