ART. VII. 2. 4. 5. TORPENTIA. 70 



experience, who frequently ufe the cold bath. At fir ft they 

 have great anhelation and palpitation of heart at their ingrefs 

 into cold water ; but by the habit of a few weeks they are able 

 to bear this diminution of heat with little or no inconvenience ; 

 for the power of volition has fome influence over the mufcles 

 fubfervient to refpiration, and by its counter efforts gradually 

 prevents the quick breathing, and diminifhes the aflbciations of 

 the pulmonary vefiels with the cutaneous ones. And thus though 

 the fame quantity of heat is fubdutted from the 1km, yet the 

 orpor of the pulmonary veflels and internal g'ands does not 

 follow. Hence during cold immerfion lefs fenforial power is ac- 

 cumulated, and, in confequence, lefs exertion of it fucceeds on 

 emerging from the bath. Whence fuch people are efteemed 

 hardy, and bear the common variations of atmofpheric temper- 

 ature without inconvenience. See Sedt. XXXII. 3. 2. 



IV. Venefeclion has a juft a title to be claifed amongft the 

 torpen'ia in cafe^ of ff v:r with arterial ftreruth, known by the 

 fulnefs and harclnefs of the puife. In thefe cafes the heat be- 

 comes lefs by its ufe, and all exuheranr fecretions, as of bile or 

 iweat, are diminiihed, and room is m^d^ in the blood-veflels for 

 the abforption of mild fluids ; and hence the abforption aJib 

 of new veflels, or extravafated fluids, the produce of inflam- 

 mation, is promoted. Hence venefe&ion is properly clatfed 

 amongft the forbentia, as like other evacuations it promotes gen- 

 eral abforption, reftrains haemorrhages, and cures thofe pains, 

 which originate from the too great aftion of the fecerning vef- 

 fels, or from the torpor of the abforbents. I have more than 

 once been witnefs to the fudden removal of nervous head-achs 

 by veneieftion, though the patient was already exhaulted, pale, 

 and feeble -, and to its great ufe in convulfions and madnefs, 

 weather the patient was itrong or weak ; which difeafes are the 

 conlequence of nervous pains , and to its (lopping long debili- 

 tating haemorrhages from the uterus, when other means had 

 been in vain eflayed. In inflammatory pains, and inflammato- 

 ry haemorrhages, every one juftly applies to it, as the certain and 

 only cure. 



V. When the circulation is carried on too violently, as in 

 inflammarory fevers, thofe medicines, which invert the motions 

 of fome parts of the fyftem, retard the motions of fome other 

 parts, which are aflbciated with them. Hence fmall doies of 

 emetic tartar, and ipecacuanha, and large dofes of nitre, by pro- 

 ducing naufea debilitate and leflen the energy of the circulation, 

 and are thence ufeful in inflammatory difeafes. It mud be add- 

 ed that if nitre be fwallowed in powder, or foon after it is dif- 

 folved, it contributes to leilen the circulation by the cold it gen- 

 erates, like ice-water, or the external application of cold air. 



VOL. I. Xxx VI. The 



