SECT. XII. 6. OF STIMULUS AND EXERTION. 99 



of longer duration than the firft ; and as a greater 

 accumulation of fenforial power muft be produced 

 before the fyftern of veffels will again obey the di- 

 minifhcd ftimulus, it follows, that the fecond hot 

 fit of fever will be more violent than the former 

 one. And that unlefs fome other caufes counter- 

 act either the violent exertions in the hot fit, or 

 the great torpor in the cold fit, life will at length 

 be extinguifhed by the expenditure of the whole 

 of the ienforial power. And from hence it appears, 

 that the true means of curing fevers muft be fuch 

 as decreafe the aclion of the fyftem in the hot fit, 

 and increafe it in the cold fit ; that is, fuch as pre- 

 vent the too great diminution of fenforial power in 

 the hot fit, and the too great accumulation of it 

 in the cold one. 



2. Where the exertion of the fenforial powers is 

 much increafed, as in the hot fits of fever or in- 

 flammation, the following are the ufual means of 

 relieving it. Decreafe the irritations by blood- 

 letting, and other evacuations ; by cold water taken 

 into the ftomach, or injected as an enema, or ufed 

 externally ; by cold air breathed into the lungs, 

 and diflufed over the Ikin ; with food of lefs ftimu- 

 lus than the patient has been accuftomed to. 



3. As a cold fit, or paroxyfm of inactivity of 

 fome parts of the fyftem, generally precedes the hot 

 fit, or paroxyfm of exertion, by which the fenfo- 

 rial power becomes accumulated, this cold parox- 

 yfm fhould be prevented by ftimulant medicines 

 and diet, as wine, opium, bark, warmth, cheer- 

 fulnefs, anger, furprife. 



4. Excite intD greater action fome other part of 

 the fyftem, by which means the fpirit of animation 

 may be in part expended, and thence the inordi- 

 nate actions of the difeafed part may be leffened. 

 Hence when a part of the Ikin acts violently, as of 

 the face in the eruption of the fmall pox, if the 



feet 



