416 THE LAWS OF ORGANIC 



ly stout and plethoric. Constant exercise pro- 

 motes the circulation, and increases the action of 

 the excretories. The quantity and quality of the 

 ingesta appear to have less influence in inducing 

 the effect than is generally supposed. If we even 

 granted to Dr CULLEN that the action of the 

 excretories depends on the force of the sanguine- 

 ous fluid, it would enable him to solve the phe- 

 nomena connected with the present subject ; but 

 it would certainly give rise to new difficulties. 

 The circulation of the child is particularly fre- 

 quent, and the motion of the heart strong for its 

 years, and yet it acquires, in a very short time, 

 a plethoric condition of the constitution. 



DIV. Since the time of Dr CULLEN, physio- 

 logical science has introduced many improve- 

 ments, and these enable us to appreciate more 

 correctly the discoveries and the theories of pre- 

 ceding ages. Much additional light has been 

 thrown on the intricate subject of absorption, 

 which seems to prove that the vessels appropri* 

 ated to this function are ex iled or depressed 

 according to the fulness or distention of the sangui- 

 neous system. 



DV. Depletion diminishes the force or ful- 

 ness of the arterial circulation ; and when this re- 

 sult is produced in the state of health, from a 

 law of the animal economy, the absorbents are 

 enabled to take up more nourishment in a given 

 time, and it is this augmented power that so 



