440 ox irtlllTANTS AND COUNTER-IRllITANTS. 



become liglit-blue in colour, and, when emptied by gentle? 

 pressure, will fill rapidly, showing that they too are full of 

 bright blood, and that the circulation througli them is rapid ; 

 the hand will be larger than before, and rings which previously 

 fitted will now be too small for the fingers ; the skin will be 

 warmer tlian before, even when time has been allowed for the 

 warmth due to the water to pass off; in fact, three of the signs 

 of inflammation, rubor, tumor, et calor will be present, but in- 

 stead of the dolor there will be a feeliag of great comfort, 

 whereby the hand signifies to its possessor that it is for the 

 time being in superabundant health. Perhaps the experiment 

 is even clearer if, instead of putting his hand into hot water, 

 the observer will take a look either at his own or his neig^h- 

 hour's hands after a good dinner and several glasses of wine. 

 The same redness and ^swelling is noticeable, and the warmth 

 can also be observed, although no extraneous heat has been 

 applied to the surface, as it had in the other experiment. No- 

 body would think of calling the hands inflamed in either of these 

 two instances, for we all know that in a short time the red- 

 ness, &c., will pass off, leaving them in their ordinary condition. 

 Some may think, however, that if active congestion were to 

 continue for weeks and months, instead of for a few minutes or 

 hours, it would lead to inflammation in the part, but such is not 

 the case. What it does lead to is hypertrophy of the part, the 

 increased supply of nutrient material furnished by the full 

 current of blood leading to increased growth. This was well 

 shown in a rabbit exhibited by Dr. W. Stirling at the recent 

 meeting of the British Medical Association in Edinburgh. 

 Three months previously. Dr. Stirling had divided the sympa- 

 thetic in the neck of the animal, which was young and growing. 

 The ear at once became red and hot as usual, and instead of the 

 congestion subsiding more or less after some time, as it not un- 

 frequently does, it continued almost unaltered up to the time 

 of the Association's meeting. The ears at the time when the 

 sympathetic was cut were of the same length, but in three 

 months the increased blood supply had caused the congested ear 

 to grow so much faster than the other, thai at the time of the 

 meeting it was a quarter of an inch longer than its fellow on the 



