414 THE LAWS OF ORGANIC 



system towards the decline of life, as accounting 

 satisfactorily for the origin of apoplexy, appears 

 to be exceptionable in its principles. The know- 

 ledge of those organic states that are known to 

 predispose to this disease, and an investigation of 

 those causes that hasten its occurrence, would 

 certainly lead one to believe that the short neck 

 is favourable to the flow of the arterial blood to- 

 wards the head, and that every accidental and 

 continued agent which tends to promote the af- 

 fection acts powerfully upon the arterial system, 

 increasing the rapidity, force, and preponderance 

 of its actions. But Dr CULLEN supposes that 

 apoplexy takes place " when the powers pro- 

 moting the motion of the blood are much weak- 

 ened." 



DI. Apoplexy is not a disease that is particu- 

 larly confined to the decline of life ; but, in many 

 instances, if not in the greater number, occurs 

 when an individual is in the full enjoyment of 

 his mental and corporeal faculties. Nor does it 

 happen to those whose venous system seems to 

 prevail over that of the arterial, but when this 

 has the ascendancy, or at least when it is much 

 excited. Nor, in the last place, does the mode 

 of living that predisposes to an attack of apo- 

 plexy appear to occasion, in an exclusive man- 

 ner, an equable or general turgescence of the 

 veins, except as a consequence of increased arte- 

 rial action. 



