PERIODS SECT. XXXVI. i. i, 



SEC TV XXXVI. 



OF THE PERIODS OF DISEASES. 



I. Mufcles excited by volition focn ceafe to contracl, or by fenfation, 

 or by irritation, owing to the exhauftion of fenforial power. Muf- 

 cles fubjecledto lefs Jlimulus have their fenforial power accumula- 

 ted. Hence the periods of feme fevers. Want of irritability 

 after intoxication* II. I. Natural aclions catenated with daily 

 habits of life. 2 With folar periods. Periods of Jleep. Of 

 evacuating the bowels. 3. Natural aclions catenated with lunar 

 periods. M.enjlruation. Venereal orgafm of animals* Barren- 

 nefs. III. Periods of difeafed animal aftions from Jiated returns 

 of noclurnal cold, from folar and lunar influence. Periods of 

 diurnal fever, heclic fever, quotidian, tertian, quartan fever. 

 Periods of gout, pleurify, of fevers with arterial debility, and with 

 arterial jlrength. Periods of rhaphania, of nervous cough, hemi- 

 crania, arterial hemorrhages, hemorrhoids, hamoptoc, epilepfy^ 

 palfy, apoplexy, madnefs. IV. Critical days depend on lunar 

 periods. Lunar periods in the f mall-pox. 



I. IF any of our mufcles be made to contract violently by the 

 power of volition, as thofe of the fingers, when any one hangs 

 by his hands on a fwing, fatigue foon enfues ; and the mufcles 

 ceafe to act owing to the temporary exhauftion of the fpirit of 

 animation ; as foon as this is again accumulated in the n^ufcles, 

 they are ready to contract again by the efforts of volition. 



Thofe violent mufcular actions induced by pain become in 

 the fame manner intermitted and recurrent ; as in labour-pains, 

 vomiting, tenefmus, ftrangury ; owing likewife to the temporary 

 exhauftion of the fpirit of animation, as above mentioned. 



When any ftimulus continues long to acl with unnatural vi- 

 olence, fo as to produce too energetic adtion of any of our 

 moving organs, thofe motions foon ceafe though the ftimulus 

 continues to acl: ; as in looking long on a bright object, as on an 

 inch-fquare of red filk laid on white paper in the funmine. See 

 Plate I. in Sea. III. i. 



On the contrary, where lefs of the ftimulus of volition, fenfa- 

 tion, or irritation, has been applied to a mufcle than ufual ; 

 there appears to be an accumulation of the fpirit of animation in 

 the moving organ ; by which it is liable to acl: with greater 

 energy from lefs quantity of ftimulus, than was 'previoufly nec- 

 eflary to excite it into fo great action ; as after having been im- 

 merfed in fnow the cutaneous veflels of our hands are excited 



into 



