SUP. I. 16. 9. THEORY OF FEVER. 507; 



fenforial power by great previous exertions of fome parts of the 

 fyftem, as of the limbs by great labour or exercife, or of the 

 flomach by great ftimulus, as by contagious matter fwallowed 

 with the faliva, or by much wine or opium previoufly taken into 

 it. Or laftly a torpor of a part may be occafioned by fome me- 

 chanic injury, as by a compreflion of the nerves of the part, or 

 of their origin in the brain ; as the fitting long with one leg 

 crofled over the other occafions numbnefs, and as a torpor of- 

 the flomach with vomiting frequently precedes paralytic itrokes 

 of the limbs. 



As ileep is produced, either by defect of ftimulus, or by pre- 

 vious exhauftion of fenforial power ; fo the accumulation of the 

 fenforial power of volition in thofe mufcles and organs of fenfe, 

 which are generally obedient to it, awakens the fleeping perfon j 

 when it has increased the quantity of voluntarily fo much as to 

 overbalance the defect of ftimulus in one cafe, and the exhauf- 

 tion of fenforial power in the other ; which latter requires a 

 much longer time of fleep than the former. So the cold par- 

 oxyfm of fever is produced either by defect of ftimulus, or by 

 previous exhauftion of the fenforial power of fome part of the 

 fyftem ; and the accumulation of the fenforial power of irrita- 

 tion in that part renews the action of it, when it has increafed 

 its irritability fo.much as to overbalance the defect of ftimulus in 

 one cafe, and the exhauftion of fenforial power in the other ; 

 which latter requires a much longer torpor or cold fit than the 

 former. 



But in the cold paroxyfm of fever, befides the torpor of one 

 part of the fyftem from defect of irritation, the remainder of it 

 becomes torpid owing to defect of excitement of the fenforial 

 power of aiTociation by the leflened action of the part firit affect- 

 ed. This torpor of the general fyftem remains, till the accumu- 

 lation of the fenforial power of aflbciation has increafed the af- 

 fociability fo much as to overbalance the defect of the ex- 

 citement of aflbciation ; then the torpor ceafes, and if the firft 

 affected part has recovered its activity, the other parts are all 

 thrown into excefs of action by their increafed afTociability, and 

 the hot fit of fever is produced. 



9. In the continued fevers with ftrong pulfe the ftomach is 

 affected fecondarily, and thus acts feebly from deficient excite- 

 ment of the power of aflbciation ; but the accumulation of the 

 power of aflbciation thus produced in an organ fubject to per- 

 petual and energetic action, is fo great as to affect the next link 

 of the aflbciate train, which confifts of the heart and arteries ; 

 thefe therefore are exerted perpetually with increafe of action. 



In continued fevers with weak pulfe the torpid ftomach is af- 

 fected 



