SUP. I. ii. i. THEORY OF FE\PR. 47 $ 



4 



comes comprefled by the centrifugal force ? See Article 15. of 

 this Supplement. 



XI. Torpor of the Heart and Arteries. 



1. It was (hewn in Clafs IV. i. I. 6. in IV. 2. I. 2. and in 



Suppl. 1.6. 3. that areverfe fympathy generally exifts between 

 the lacteal and lymphatic branches of the abforbent fyftem. 

 Hence, when the motions of the abforbents of the ftomach are 

 rendered torpid or retrograde in fevers with arterial debility, 

 thofe of the Ikin, lungs, and cellular membrane, aft with in- 

 creafed energy. But the actions of the mufcular fibres of the 

 heart and arteries are at the fame time aflbciated with thofe of 

 the mufcular fibres of the ftomach by direct fympathy. Both 

 thefe actions occur during the operation of powerful emetics, 

 as fquill, or digitalis ; while the motions of the ftomach con- 

 tinue torpid or retrograde, the cellular and cutaneous abforbents 

 act with greater energy, and the pulfatiens of the heart and ar- 

 teries become weaker, and fometimes flower. 



2. The increafed action of the ftomach after a meal, and of 

 the heart and arteries at the fame time from the ftimulus of the 

 new fupply of chyle, feems originally to have produced, and to 

 have eftablifhed this direct fympathy between them. As the 

 increafed action of the abforbents of the ftomach after a meal 

 has been ufually attended with diminifhed action of the other 

 branches of the abforbent fyftem, as mentioned in Clafs IV. 

 i. i. 6. and has thus eftablifhed a reverfe fympathy between 

 them. 



2. Befides the reverfe fympathy of the abforbent vellels and the 

 mufcles of the ftomach, and of the heart and arteries, with thofe 

 of the Ikin, lungs, and cellular membrane ; there exifts a fimilar 

 reverfe fympathy between the fecerning veflels or glands of the 

 former of thefe organs with thofe of the latter ; that is the mu- 

 cous glands of the heart and arteries act generally by direct fym- 

 pathy with thofe of the ftomach ; and the mucous glands of 

 the cellular membrane of the lungs, and of the (kin, act by re- 

 verfe fympathy with them both. 



Hence when the ftomach is torpid, as in ficknefs, this torpor 

 fometimes only affects the abforbent veflejs of it ; and then the 

 abforbents of the cellular membrane and the {kin only act with 

 increafed energy by reverie fympathy. If the torpor affects the 

 mufcular fibres of the ftomach, thofe of the heart and arteries 

 act by direct fympathy with it, and a weak pulfe is produced, 

 as in the exhibition of digitalis, but without increaie of heat. 

 But if the torpor alfo affects the glands of the ftomach, the cu- 

 taneous 



