150 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 



Other figures to illustrate this section may be found in " Animal 

 Physiology " in the Library of Useful Knowledge, pages 69, 70, 

 71, 73, 74 ; in Dr. Roget's Bridgewater Treatise ; in Dr. Smith's 

 Philosophy of Health ; in Bell's Anatomy, &c. 



The blood is subject to disease with other parts of the body, 

 arising from various causes, and the most frequent is an unequal 

 circulation of it. When the capillary system of the skin ceases to 

 perform its functions, or does it imperfectly, the blood is diverted 

 from its ordinary channels, and driven inwards to some of the 

 organs, and by its preternatural accumulation, in connexion with 

 retained morbid perspiratory matter, becomes a source of irritation 

 and inflammation. This state of the system does not prove that 

 there is too great a quantity of this fluid in the body, but that the 

 balance of the circulation is lost ; that there is not an equable 

 distribution throughout the blood-vessels. The defective doctor 

 now steps in, not as a servant of nature to assist her to return back 

 the blood to its original channels by appropriate treatment, but 

 abstracts a portion of it, and thus frustrates her intentions to accom- 

 plish this object. 



As the restorative process depends on, the blood, just in propor- 

 tion to the amount taken is the power to produce re-action dimi- 

 nished, and it appears to me to be as unphilosophical and unrea- 

 sonable to bleed a man to cure him of a disease as it would be to 

 lay an additional weight on anything which a person was exerting 

 all his strength to lift. The inability to raise it would be just in 

 proportion to the amount added, and thus the phlebotomist retards 

 instead of assisting nature. 



According to this view, then, the proper treatment consists not 

 in lessening the quantity of blood in the system, but in equalizing 

 it ; and this must be effected by administering such medicines as 

 cause a determination of the blood to the surface from whence it 

 has retreated. Warm herb tea to be given, aided by warmth exter- 

 nally, as hot bricks, or bottles of hot water to the sides and feet. 

 In some cases the vapor bath or a " rum sweat." The cardinal 

 indication or intention to fulfil this is to equalize the circulation of 

 the blood, not impair it, or abstract it. In those cases where there 

 is a taint or impurity, alterative agents should be given. 



IN FEBRILE DISEASES 



Pursue the following course : Commence by taking an emetic, 

 and the next day take a cathartic. When the operation is over, 



