126 The Hokse Fakrier. 



pulse will likewise characterize diseases of an opposite 

 description. It accompanies the sleepy stage of staggers, 

 and every malady connected with deficiency of nervous 

 energy. 



The heart may be excited to more frequent and more 

 violent action. It may contract more powerfully upon 

 the blood, which will be driven with greater force through 

 the arteries, and the expansion of the vessels will be 

 greater and more sudden. Then we have the hard pulse 

 — the sure iudicator of considerable fever, and calling for 

 the immediate and free use of the l^icet. 



Sometimes the pulse may be hard and jerking, and yet 

 small. The stream though forcible is not great. The 

 practitioner knows that this indicates a dangerous state 

 of disease. It is an almost invariable accompaniment of 

 inflammation of the bowels. 



A weak pulse, when the arterial stream flows slowly, is 

 caused by the feeble action of the heart. It is the re- 

 verse of fever, and expressive of debility. 



The (^/pressed pulse is when the arteries seem to be 

 fully distended with blood. There is obstruction some- 

 where, and the action of the heart can hardly force the 

 stream along, or communicate pulsation to the current. 



The state of the pulse should be carefully regarded 

 during bleeding. The most experienced practitioner can- 

 not tell what quantity of blood must be abstracted in or- 

 der to produce the desired effect. The change of the 

 pulse can alone indicate when the object is accomplished ; 

 therefore, the operator should have his finger on the ar- 

 tery during the act of bleeding, and, comparatively re- 

 gardless of the quantity, continue to take blood, until, 

 in inflammation of the lungs, the oppressed pulse, becomes 



