438 DISEASES CLASS IV. 3, 



and thofc which conftitute the organs of fenfe, whence fynco- 

 pe ; but laftly thofe, which perform the vital motions, become 

 deprived of fenforial power, and death enfues. See Clafs I. 2. 

 I. 4. and I. 2. I. 10. Similar to this in fome epileptic fits the 

 patient firft fuddenly falls down, without even endeavouring to 

 fave himfelf by his hands before the convulfive motions come 

 on. In this cafe the great exertion of fome fmall part in confe- 

 quence of great irritation or fenfation exhaufts the whole fen- 

 forial power, which was lodged in the extremities of the lo- 

 comotive nerves, for a (hort time, as in fyncope ; and as 

 foon as thefe mufcles are again fupplied, convulfions fuper- 

 vene to relieve the painful fenfation. See Clafs III. i % i. 7. 



7. Abortio a timore. Women mifcarry much more frequent- 

 ly from a fright, than from bodily injury. A torpor or retro- 

 grade motion of the capillary arteries of the internal uterus is 

 probably the immediate caufe of thefe mifcarriages, owing to 

 the affociation of the actions of thofe veflels with the capillaries 

 of the fkin, which are rendered torpid or retrograde by fear. 

 By this contraction of the uterine arteries, the fine veflels of 

 the placenta, which are inferred into them, are detruded, or oth- 

 erwife fo affected, that the placenta feparates at this time from 

 the uterus, and the , fetus dies from want of oxygenation. 

 A flrong young woman, in the fifth or fixth month of her preg- 

 nancy, who has fince borne many children, went into her cellar 

 to draw beer ; one of her fervant boys was hid behind a bar- 

 rel, and darted out to furprife her, believing her to be the 

 maid-fervant ; fhe began to flood immediately, and mifcarried 

 in a few hours. See Se&. XXXIX. 6. 5. and Clafs I. 2. i. 14. 



8. Hyfterla a timore. Some delicate ladies are liable to fall 

 into hyfteric fits from fudden fright. The periftaltic motions 

 of the bowels and ftomach, and thofe of the cefophagus, make 

 n part of the great circle of irritative motions with thofe of the 

 ikin, and many other membranes. ^Hence when the cutaneous 

 veflels become torpid from their reverfe fympathy with the 

 painful ideas of fear ; thofe of the bowels, and ftomach, and 

 osfophagus, become firft torpid by direct fympathy with thofe 

 of the flun, and then feebly and ineffectually invert the order of 

 their motions, which conftitutes a paroxyfm of the hyfteric dif- 

 eafe. See Clafs I. 3. 1. 10. Thefe hyfteric paroxyfms are 

 fometimes followed by convulfions, which belong to Clafs III. 

 as they are exertions to relieve pain ; and fometimes by death. 

 See Species 9. of this Genus, and Clafs I. 2. I. 4. 



Indigeftion from fear, is to be afcribed in the fame manner 

 to the torpor of the ftomach, owing to its aflbciation with the 

 ikin. As in Clafs IV. I. 2. 5. IV. 2. I. 



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