16$ ABSORBENT SYSTEM. 



Q. How do medicines act in producing absorption? 

 J%. By increasing the organic sensibility of the absor- 

 bents; and such are the variations in the degrees to which 

 organic sensibility can be raised, as to account for the ab- 

 sorption of the various fluids. 



Q. Will these considerations account for the introduc- 

 tion of morbific matter by the lungs and lacteals? 



ft. They will; for if the organic sensibility of the lac- 

 teals, or of the pulmonary absorbents be increased, they 

 will take in matters which in their healthy state would be 

 rejected. 



Q. What circumstances vary the natural type of the 

 sensibility of the absorbents? 



#. Direct causes, such as frictions to the skin ; and 

 sympathetic causes, as when the absorbents are acted on 

 by a distant viscus. 



Q. What conspicuous difference appears in the chan- 

 nels of the veins and absorbents? 



*ft. The fluid in the absorbents has to pass through nu- 

 merous glands, in each of which is a kind of capillary 

 system; this, while it affects the course of the lymph, may 

 also when the glands are diseased, change the quality of 

 the lymph. The veins have no such glands to pass through 

 in their progress to the heart. 



Q. What three phenomena always accompany each 

 other in the organs? 



J2. Great development, attended by activity of func- 

 tion, these giving rise to disposition to disease. 



Q. What reference has the answer to the last question 

 to the absorbent glands? 



#. In childhood there is great development of the ab- 



