ART IV. 2. 4. 2. SORBENTIA. 5 1 



have fhewn are abforbents of the red blood, after it has pafTecl 

 the capillaries and glands. 



2. In the fea-fcurvy and petechial fever the veins do not per- 

 fe&Jy perform this office of abforption ; and hence the vibices 

 are occjfioned by blood ftagnating at their extremities, or ex- 

 travafated into the cellular membrane. And this clafs of vegeta- 

 bles, ftimulating the veins to perform their natural abforption, 

 without increafmg the energy of the arterial action, prevents 

 future petechiae, and may affift the abforption of the blood al- 

 ready ftagnated, as foon as its chemical change renders it proper 

 for that operation. 



3. The fluids, which are extravafated, and received into the 

 cells of the cellular membrane, fcem to continue there for many 

 days, fo as to undergo fome chemical change, and are then taken 

 up again by the mouths of the cellular abforbents. But the 

 new veiTels produced in inflamed parts, as they communicate 

 with the veins, are probably abforbed again by the veins along 

 with the blood which they contain in their cavities. Hence the 

 blood, which is extravafated in bruifes of vibices, is gradually 

 many days in difappearing ; but after due evacuations the in- 

 flamed vefTels on the white of the eye, if any flimulant lotion is 

 applied, totally difappear in a few hours. 



Amongft abforbents ;aTecling the veins we (hould therefore 

 add the external application of flimulant materials ; as of 

 vinegar, which makes the lips pale on touching them. Fric- 

 tion, and eleclricity. 



4. Haemorrhages are of two kinds, either arterial, which are 

 attended with inflammation ; or venous, from a deficiency in 

 the abforbent power of this fet of vefTels. In the former cafe 

 the torpentia are efficacious ; in the latter (leel, opium, alum, 

 and all the tribe of forbcntia, are ufed with fuccefs. 



5. Sydenham recommends vegetables of the clafs tetradyna- 

 mia in rheumatic pains left after the cure of interrnittents. 

 Thefe pains are perhaps finiilar to thofe of the fea-fcurvy, and 

 feem to arife from want of abforption in the affected part, and 

 hence are relieved by the fame medicines. 



V. i. Inteftinal abforption. Some aflringent vegetables, af> 

 rhubarb, may be given in fuch dofes as to prove cathartic ; and, 

 after a part of it is evacuated from the body, the remaining 

 part augments the abforption of the inteftines ; and ats, as if 

 a fimilar dofe had been exhibited after the operation of any oth- 

 er purgative. Hence 4 grains of rhubarb itrengthen the bow- 

 els, 30 grains firil empty them. 



.2 The earthy falts, as alum, increafe the inteflinal abforp- 

 tion, and hence induce conftipation in their ufual dofe ; alum 



is 



