4iS DISEASES OF IRRITATION. SECT, XXXII. a. 



s? 



than ufual, it becomes flower and larger. Thus 

 ; in cold fits of agues, in hyfteric palpitations of the 

 heart, and when the body is much exhaufted J)jr 

 haemorrhages, or by fatigue, as well as in nervous 

 fevers, the pulfe becomes quick and fmall ; and, 

 fecondly, in all thofe cafes if an increafe of ftimu- 

 lus be added, by giving a little wine or opium ; 

 the quick fmall pulfe becomes flower and larger, 

 as any one may eafily experience on himfelf, by 

 counting his pulfe afterdrinking one or two glafles 

 of wine, when he is faint from hunger or fatigue. 



'Now nothing can fo ftrongly evince that this 

 quick fmall pulfe is pwing to defect of irritability^ 

 than that an additional ftimulus, above what is 

 natural, makes it become flower and larger immedi- 

 ately : for what Js meant by a defect of irritability, 

 but that thje arteries and heart are not excited jnto 

 their ufual exertions by their ufual quantity of 

 ftimulus?.but if you increafe the quantity of fti- 

 inulus, and they immediately act with their ufual 

 energy, this proves their previous want of their 

 natural degree of irritability. TJjus the trembling 

 hands of drunkards in a morning become fleady, 

 and acquire flrength to perform their ufuaj offices, 

 by the accuftomed ftimulus of a glafs or two of 

 Brandy. 



2. In fleep and in apoplexy the pulfe becomes 

 flower, which is not owing to defect of irritability, 

 jfor it is at the fame time larger ; and thence the 

 quantity of tjie circulation is rather increafecj than 

 diminifjked. In thefe cafes the organ's of ferife are 

 clofecj, and the voluntary power is fufpended, while 

 the motions dependent on internal' irritations, as 

 thofe of digeftion and fecretion, are carried on with 

 more than their ufual vigour ; which has led fuper- 

 ficial obfervers to confound thefe cafes with thofe 

 ariiing ifrom want of irritability. Thus if you lift 

 up the eyelid of an apoplectic patient, who is not 



