SECT. XXI. 8. 9. OF DRUNKENNESS, 2-89 



8. This vertigo alfo continues, when the inebriate 

 lies in his bed, in the dark, or with his eyes clofedj 

 and this more powerfully than when he is erect, and 

 in the light. For the irritative ideas of the apparent 

 motions of objeds are now excited by irritation from 

 internal ftimulus, or by afibciation with other irri- 

 tative motions ; and the inebriate, like one in a 

 dream, believes the objects of thefe irritative mo- 

 tions to be prefent, and reels himfelf vertiginous. I 

 have obferved in this fituation, fo long as my eyes 

 and mind were intent upon a book, the ficknefs and 

 vertigo ceafed, and were renewed again the moment 

 I difcontinued this attention ; as was explained in 

 the preceding account of fea-ficknefs. Some drunken 

 people have been known to become fober inftantly 

 from fome accident, that has ftrongly excited their 

 attention, as the pain of a broken bone, or the 

 news of their houfe being on fire. 



9. Sometimes the vertigo from internal caufes, as 

 from intoxication, or at the beginning of fome fevers, 

 becomes fo univerfal, that the irritative motions 

 which belong to other organs of fenfe are fucceeded 

 by fenfation or attention, as well as thofe of the eye. 

 The vertiginous noife in the ears has been explained 

 in Set. XX. on Vertigo. The tafte of the faliva, which 

 in general is not attended to, becomes perceptible, and 

 jthe patients complain of a bad tafte in their mouth. 



The common fmellsof the furroundingairfometimes 

 excite the attention of thefe patients, and bad fmell? 

 are complainedof, which to otherpeople are impercep- 

 tible. The irritative motions that belong to the fenfe 

 of prefTure, or of touch, areattendedto, andthepatient 

 .conceives the bed to librate, and is fearful of falling 

 out of it. The irritative motions belonging tothefenfes 

 of diftention, and of hear, like thofe above mentioned, 

 become attended to at this time : hence we feel the pul- 

 fationof our arteries all over us, and complain of heat, 

 or of cold in parts of the body where there is no ac- 

 cumulation or diminution of a&ual heat. AH which 



