5 o 4 THEORY OF FEVER. SUP. I. 16. ?, 



fation of the heart and arteries is always ftronger Ujan natural, 

 fo as to bear the lancet at any period of the difeafe. 



The great mildnefs fometimes, and fatality at other times, of 

 the fcaflet fever may depend on the fame circumftance ; that is, 

 on the ftomach being primarily or fecondarily affected by the 

 contagious matter, obferving that the tonfils may be affected at 

 the fame time with the ftomach. Should this prove to be the 

 cafe, which future obfervations muft determine, what certain ad- 

 vantage muft arife from the inoculation of this difeafe ! When 

 it is received by the fkin primarily I fuppofe no fore throat at- 

 tends it, nor fever with weak pulfe ; when it is received by the 

 ftomach primarily, the tonfils are affected at the fame time, and 

 the torpor of the ftomach produces inirritative fever, and the 

 mortification of the tonfils fucceeds. 



We may hence conclude, that when the torpor of the ftom- 

 ach is either owing to defect of ftimulus, which is not fo great 

 as to impair the life of the part, as in moderate hunger, or in 

 fwallowing iced water, or when its torpor is induced by its cat- 

 enation or aflbciation with other torpid parts, as in the com- 

 mencement of intermittent fevers, and inoculated fmall-pox, that 

 the fubfequent action of the heart and arteries is generally in- 

 creafed, producing irritative fever. Which is owing to the ac* 

 cumulation of the fenforial power of irritation in one cafe, and 

 of affociation in the other, contributing to actuate the next link 

 of the catenated or aflbciated motions. But when the torpor of 

 the ftomach is induced by previous exhauftion of its fenforial 

 powers of irritation or of aflbciation by continued violent action, 

 as by the ftimulus of digitalis, or of contagious matter, or after 

 intoxication from wine or opium, a weaker action of the heart 

 and arteries fucceeds, becaufe there is no accumulation of fen* 

 forial power, and a deficient excitement of aflbciation. And 

 finally, as this weak action of the heart and arteries is not in- 

 duced by exhauftion of fenforial power, but by defect of the ex* 

 citement of aflbciation, the accumulation of this power of aflb- 

 ciation increafes the action of the capillaries, and thus induces 

 inirritative fever. 



7. When any part of the fyftem acts very violently in fevers, 

 the fenforial power of fenfation is excited, which increafes the 

 actions of the moving fyftem : whereas the pain, which arifes 

 from decreafed irritative motions, as in hemicrania, feems to ex- 

 hauft a quantity of fenforial power, without producing or in- 

 creafing any fibrous actions. 



When the ftomach is primarily affected, as in inirritative fevers 

 from contagion, and in fuch a manner as to occafion pain, the 

 ailion of the capillaries feems to be increafed by this additional 



fenforial 



