RETROGRADE ABSORBENTS. ^ECT. XX1&. f. 



the cutaneous abforbents continue to do their 

 office. 



Some have believed, that dropfies were occafion- 

 ed by the inability of the kidneys, from having only 

 obferved the paucity of urine ; and have theflce 

 laboured much to obtain diuretic medicines ; but 

 it is daily obfervable, that thofe who die of a total 

 inability to make water, do not become dropficai 

 in confequence of it : Fernelius mentions one, who 

 laboured under a perfect fuppreflion of urine during 

 twenty days before his death, and yet had no fyrop- 

 toms of dropfy. Pathol. 1. vi. c. 8. From the 

 fame idea many pbyficians have retrained their pa- 

 tients from drinking, though their thirft has been 

 very urgent ; and fome cafes have been publifhed, 

 where this cruel regimen has been thought advan- 

 tageous : but others of nicer obfervation are of 

 opinion, that it has always aggravated the diftrefies 

 of the patient ; and though it has abated his fwell- 

 ings, yet by inducing a fever it has haftened his 

 difiblution. See Tranfaclions of the College, Lon- 

 don, vol. ii. p. 235. Cafes of Dropfy by Dr. G< 

 Baker. 



The cure of anafarca, fo far as refpecls the eva- 

 cuation of the accumulated fluid, coincides with 

 the idea of the retrograde action of the lymphatic 

 fyftem. It is well known that vomits, and other 

 drugs, which induce ficknefs or naufea ; at the 

 fame time that they evacuate the ftomach, produce 

 a great abforption of the lymph accumulated in the 

 cellular membrane. In the operation of a vomit, 

 not only the motions of the ftomach and duodenum 

 become inverted, but alfo thofe of the lymphatics 

 and lafteals, which belong to them ; whence a great 

 quantity of chyle and lymph is perpetually poured 

 into the ftomach and inteftines, during the opera- 

 tion, and evacuated by the mouth. Now at the 



fame 



