74 TORPENTIA. ART. VII. 2. i. iv 



bricate the veflels along which extraneous bodies Hide, as oil in 

 the ftone in the urethra, and to expedite the expectoration of 

 hardened mucus ; or which leflen the friftion of the contents 

 in the intelHnal canal in dyfentery or aphtha, as calcined hartf- 

 horn, clay, Armenian bole, chalk, bone-afhes. Fifthly, fuch 

 things as foften or extend the cuticle over tumors, or phleg- 

 mons, as warm water, poultices, fomentations, or by confining 

 the perfpirable matter on the part by cabbage-leaves, oil, fat, 

 beeVwax, plaflers, oiled filk, externally applied. 



Thefe decreafe the natural heat and remove pains occafioned 

 by excefs of irritative motions. 



II. OBSERVATIONS ON THE TORPENTIA. 



I. As the torpentia confift of fuch materials as are lefs ftim- 

 ulating than our ufual diet, it is evident, that where this clafs of 

 medicines is ufed, fome regard mud be had to the ufual manner 

 of living of the patient both in reipecr, to quantity and quality. 

 Hence wounds in thofe, who have been accuftomed to the ufe 

 of much wine, are very liable to mortify, unlefs the ufual pota- 

 tion of wine be allowed the patient And in thefe habits I have 

 feen a delirium in a fever cured almoft immediately by wine ; 

 which was occafioned by the too mild regimen directed by the 

 attendants. On the contrary in great inflammation, the fub-* 

 duclion of food, and of fpirituous drink, contributes much to the 

 cure of the difeafe. As by thefe means both the ftimulus from 

 diftention of the veflels, as well as that from the acrimony of 

 the fluids, is decreaied ; but in both thefe refpe&s the previous 

 habits of diet of the patients muft be attended to. Thus if tea 

 be made ftronger, than the patient has ufually drunk it, it be- 

 longs to the article forbentia , if weaker, it belongs to the tor- 

 pentia. 



II. i. Water in a quantity greater than ufual diminifhes the 

 action of the fyftem not only by diluting our fluids, and thence 

 leiTening their ftimulus, but by lubricating the folids ; for not 

 only parts of our folids have their fliding over each other facili- 

 tate by the interpofition of the aqueous particles; but the particles 

 of mucaginous or faccharine folutions flide eafier over each oth- 

 er by being mixed with a greater portion of water, and thence 

 ftimulate the veflels lefs. 



At the fame time it muft be obferved, that the particles of 

 water themfelves, and of animal gluten diilblved in water, as 

 the glue ufed by carpenters, flide eafier over each other by an 

 additional quantity of the fluid matter of heat. 



Thefe two fluids of heat and of water may be efteemed the 



upiverfal 



