ART. IV. 2. 3. 8. SORBENTIA. % 9 



drops of the faturated tincture of digitalis from a two-ounce 

 phial twice a day, (he became free from the difficult refpira- 

 tion, and her legs became lefs fwelled, in two or three days. 

 She has repeated this medicine about once a month for more 

 than a year, with tincture of bark at intervals, and half a grain 

 of opium at night, and retains a tolerable (late of health. 



From the great ftimulus of this medicine the flomach is ren- 

 dered torpid with confequent (icknefs, which continues many 

 hours and even days, owing to the great exhauftion of its fe nib- 

 rial power of irritation ; and the action of the heart and arteries 

 becomes feeble from the deficient excitement of the fenforial 

 power of aflbciation ; and laflly, the abforbents of the cellular 

 membrane act more violently in confequence of the accumula- 

 tion of the fenforial power of aflbciation in the torpid heart and 

 arteries, as explained in Suppl. I. 12. 



A circumftance curioufly fimilar to this occurs to fome peo- 

 ple on fmoking tobacco for a fhort time, who have not been ac- 

 cuflomed to it. A degree of ficknefs is prelently induced, and 

 the pulfations of the heart and arteries become feeble for a fhort 

 time, as in the approach to fainting, owing to the direct fym- 

 pathy between thefe and the flomach, that is from defect of 

 the excitement of the power of aflbciation. Then there fuc- 

 ceed a tingling, and heat, and fometimes fweat, owing to the iri- 

 creafed action of the capillaries, or perfpirative and mucous 

 glands ; which are occafioned by the accumulation of the fen- 

 forial power of aflbciation by the weaker action of the heart and 

 arteries, which now increafes the action of the capillaries. 



8. Another method of increafing abforption from the cellu- 

 lar membrane is by warm air, or by warm fteam. If the fweli- 

 ed legs of a dropfical patient are enclofed in a box, the air of 

 which is made warm by a lamp or two, copious fweats are foon 

 produced by the increafed action of the capillary glands, which 

 are feen to (land on the fkin, as it cannot readily exhale in fo 

 fmall a quantity of air, which is only changed fo fail as may be 

 neceflary to permit the lamps to burn. At the fame time the 

 lymphatics of the cellular membrane are flimulated by the heat 

 mto greater action, as appears by the fpeedy reduction of the 

 tumid legs. 



It would be well worth trying an experiment upon a perfon 

 labouring under a general anafarca by putting him into a room 

 filled with air heated to 120 or 130 degrees, which would prob- 

 ably excite a great general diaphorefis, and a general cellular ah- 

 forption both from the lungs and every other part. And that 

 air of fo great heat may be borne for many minutes without 



great 



