298 DISEASES SECT. XXXII. 9. 2. 



come quiefcent from cold. The trembling in confequence of 

 the pain of coldnefs, the reflleflhefs, and the yawning, and 

 ftretching of the limbs, together with the fhuddering, or rigors, 

 are convulfive motions ; and will be explained amongft the dif- 

 eaies of volition ; Sett. XXXIV. 



Sicknefs and vomiting are a frequent fymptom in the begin- 

 nings of fever-fits, the mufcular fibres of the ftomach fhare the 

 general torpor and debility of the fyftem ; their motions become 

 firft lefTened, and (lop, and then become retrograde ; for the acl of 

 vomiripg, like the globus hyftericus arid the borborigmi of hypo- 

 chondriafis, is always a fymptom of debility, either from want of 

 ftimulus, as in hunger j or from want of fenforial power, as af- 

 ter intoxication ; or from fympathy with fome other torpid ir- 

 ritative motions, as in the cold fits of ague. See Seel. XII. 5. 

 5. XXIX. 1 1. and XXXV. i. 3. where this acl; of vomiting is 

 further explained. 



The imall pulfe, which is faid by fome writers to be flow at 

 the commencement of ague-fits, and which is frequently trem- 

 bling and intermittent, is owing to the quiefcence of the heart 

 and arterial fyftem, and to the refiftance oppofed to the circu- 

 lating fluid from the inactivity of all the glands and capillaries. 

 The great weaknefs and inability to voluntary motions, with the 

 inftnfibility of the extremities, are owing to the general quief- 

 cence of the whole moving fyftem ; or, perhaps, fimply to the 

 deficient production of fenforial power. 



If all thefe fymptoms are further increafed, the quiefcence of 

 all the mufcles, including the heart and arteries, becomes com- 

 plete, and death enfues. This is, moft probably, the cafe of 

 thofe who are ftarved to death with cold and of thofe who are 

 faid to die in Holland from long fkating on their frozen canals. 



2. As foon as this general quiefcence of the fyftem ceafes, 

 either by the diminution of the caufe, or by the accumulation of 

 fenforial power, (as in fyncope, Seel- XII. 7. i. ) which is the 

 natural confequence of previous quiefcence, the hot fit com- 

 mences. Every gland of the body is now ftimulated into 

 ftronger aclion than is natural, as its irritability is increafed by 

 accumulation of fenforial power during its late quiefcence, a fu- 

 perabundance of all the fecretions is produced and an increafe 

 of heat in confequenee of the increafe of thefe fecretions. The 

 {kin becomes red, and the perfpirarion great, owing to the in- 

 creafed aclion of the capillaries during the hot part of the par- 

 oxyfm. The fecretion of perfpirable matter is perhaps greater 

 during the hot fit than in the fweating fit which follows j but 

 as the abforption of it alfo is greater, it does not ftand on the 

 {kin in vifible drops : add to this, that the evaporation of it alfo 



is 



