AND ANIMAL LIFE. 201 



not experience any unpleasant sensation ; but his 

 system is not circumstanced as in continued fever. 

 The circulation on the surface of the body is, 

 from the first immersion, excited ; and from the 

 vascularity which succeeds, the lungs, in common 

 with other internal organs, have a smaller quantity 

 of blood to oxygenate, agreeably to the principles 

 laid down in the first chapter ; and, therefore, the 

 blood becomes more stimulating, increasing the 

 action of the heart, and of the whole of the arte- 

 rial system, and consequently protects the surface 

 from the agency of cold. Dr CURRIE observes 

 that, when the system possesses a temperature 

 of 102, 103, 104, or 105 in the hot stage of 

 intermittent fever, " the sensation of heat is 

 now strong and steady, and the accession of 

 external air does not produce a return of chillness 

 as before''* In further corroboration of this opi- 

 nion, we do not find that individuals labouring 

 under thoracic inflammations are as susceptible 

 to this agent as when confined with continued 

 fever. In the former circumstances, the greater 

 part of the heat is attributable to augmented pro- 

 duction, which places the system in a situation 

 somewhat similar to that of the Russian : but, in 

 the latter, the temperature may be said to be 

 truly superficial, as it is not generated by supe- 

 rior powers, nor maintained by the effects which 

 they produce. 



* Medical Reports, p. 155. 



