THEORY OF FEVER. SUP. I. 13, 



they firft ftretched them out, but died inftantaneoufly ; in a fim- 

 ilar manner the lungs feem to be rendered inftantly inanimate 

 by the fumes of burning fulphur. 



The lungs may be fometimes primarily affeclred with conta- 

 gious matter floating in the atmoiphere as well as the ftomach, 

 as mentioned in article 9. of this Supplement. But probably 

 this may occur much lefs frequently, becaufe the oxygene of the 

 atmofphere does not appear to be taken into the blood by ani-* 

 rnal abforption, as the faliva in the ftomach, but pafles through 

 the moift membranes into the blood, like the ethereal fluids of 

 electricity or heat, or by chemical attraction, and in confequence 

 the contagious matter may be left behind ; except it may fome- 

 times be abiorbed along with the mucus ; of which however in 

 this cafe there appeared no fymptoms. 



The tonfils are other organs liable to receive contagious matter, 

 as in the fmall-pox, fcarlet- fever, and in other fenfitive inirritat- 

 ed fevers ; but no fymptom of this appeared here, as the tonfils 

 were at no time of the fever inflamed, though they were in this 

 child previoufly uncommonly large. 



The pain of the forehead does not feem to have been of the 

 internal parts of the head, becaufe the nerves, which ferve the 

 ftomach, are not derived from the anterior part of the brain ; 

 but it feems to have been owing to a torpor of the external mem- 

 branes about the forehead from their direct fympath)* with thofe 

 of the ftomach ; that is, from the deficient excitement of the 

 fenforial power of aflbciation ; and feemed in fome meafure to 

 be relieved by the emetics and blifters. 



The pulfations of the heart were weaker and in confequence 

 quicker than natural, owing to their direct fympathy with the 

 torpid periftaltic motions of the ftomach ; that is to the deficient 

 excitement of the fenforial power of aflbciation. 



The action of the cutaneous capillaries and abforbents were 

 ftronger than natural, as appeared by the perpetual heat and 

 dryneis of the {kin ; which was owing to their reverfe fympathy 

 xvith the heart and arteries. This weaker and quicker action of 

 the heart and arteries, and the ftronger action of the cutaneous 

 capillaries and abforbents, continued throughout the difeafe, 

 and may be faid to have conftituted the fever, of which the tor- 

 por of the ftomach was the remote caufe. 



His tongue was not very much furred or very dry, nor his 

 breath very hot ; which mewed, that there was no great increafe 

 of the action of the mucous abforbents, nor of the pulmonary 

 capillaries, and yet fuflieient to produce great emaciation. His 

 urine was nearly natural both in quantity and colour 5 which 



(hewed, 



