CLASS 



14. 



bo 







ASS I. 2. 2. 14. OF IRRITATION. 71 



14. Innutntio offtum. Innutrition of the bones. Not only 

 the blood effuled in vibices and petechise, or from bruifes, as well 

 as the blood and new veffels in inflamed parts, are reabforbed by 

 the increafed action of the lymphatics ; but the harder materials, 

 which conftitute the fangs of the firft fet of teeth, and the ends 

 of exfoliating bones, and fometimes the matter of chalk-ftones 

 in the gout, the coagulable lymph, which is depofited on the 

 lungs, or on the mufcles after inflammation of thofe parts, and 

 which frequently produces difficulty of breathing, and the pains 

 of chronic rheumatifm, and ladly the earthy part of the living 

 bones are diffolved and abforbed by the increaied actions of this 

 (tern of veffels. See Seel. XXXIII. 3.1. 

 The earthy part of bones in this difeafe of the nutrition of 

 em feems to fuffer a folution, and reabforption ; while the 

 veffels do net fupply a fuflkient quantity of calcareous 

 earth and phofphoric acid, which conftitute the fubita-nce of bones. 

 As calcareous earth abounds every \vhere, is the want of phof- 

 phoric acid the remote caufe ? One caufe of this malady is 

 given in the Philofophic Tranfactions, where the patient had 

 been accuftomed to drink large quantities of vinegar. Two cafes 

 are defcribed by Mr. Gouch. In one cafe, which I faw, a con- 

 fiderable quantity of calcareous earth* and afterwards of bone- 

 aflies, and of decoction of madded, and alfo of fublimate of 

 mercury, were given without effect. All the bones became foft, 

 many of them broke, and the patient feemed to die from the 

 want of being able to diftend her cheft owing to the foftnefs of 

 the ribs. 



M. M. Salt of urine, called fal microcofmicum, phofphorated 

 foda. Calcined hartfhorn. Bone-afhes. Hard or petrifying 

 water, as that of Matlock, or fuch as is found in all limeftone 

 or marly countries. The calcareous earth in thefe waters might 

 poffibly be carried to the bones, as madder is known to colour 

 them. Warm bath. Volatile or fixed alkali as a lotion on the 

 fpine, or effential oils. 



The innutrition of the bones is often firft to be perceived by 

 the difficulty of breathing and palpitation of the heart on walking 

 a little fafter thanufual, which I fuppofe is owing to the foft- 

 nefs of the ends of the ribs adjoining to the fternum j on which 

 account they do not perfectly diften-d the cheft, when they are 

 raifed by the pectoral and intercoftal mufcles with greater force 

 than ufual. After this the fpine becomes curved both by the 

 foftnefs of its vertebrae, and for the purpofe of making room for 

 the difturbed heart. See Species 16 of this Genus. 



As thefe patients are pale and weak, there would feem to be 

 deficiency of oxygene in their blood, and in confequence a defi- 

 ciency 



