1088 DOCTRINE OF SYMPATHY. 



in the free state, causing a local fever. Hence 

 the redness, tension, swelling, and heat, which 

 are attended with more or less pain, owing partly 

 to compression of the nerves, partly to morbid 

 sensibility produced by the preternatural tempe- 

 rature, and still more, perhaps, to a failure of 

 the nutritive process, any derangement of which 

 is always accompanied with disagreeable sensa- 

 tions. 



But how does local inflammation induce gene- 

 ral fever? The prevalent belief has been, that 

 morbid action is propagated from the primary 

 seat of injury to other parts of the body by 

 sympathy, which has generally been referred to 

 nervous influence : that the operation of cold 

 and moisture on the feet induces a sympathetic 

 affection of the lungs, and thus lays the founda- 

 tion of phthisis, or some other pulmonary disease : 

 that the loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, 

 which follow a blow on the head, intense grief, 

 and other depressing emotions, are owing to 

 sympathy of the stomach with the brain : that 

 the head-ache which follows a debauch, a dose 

 of tartar emetic, or some other noxious agent, is 

 owing to sympathy with the morbid condition of 

 the stomach : that when fever is induced by a 

 compound fracture, or any other serious injury, it 

 arises from sympathy with the affected part : 

 and that when gastritis, enteritis, dysentery, 

 diarrhoea, or hepatitis, are brought on by expo- 



