DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF CIRCULATION 75 



mater, synovial membranes of the articulations and tendon sheaths, 

 tunica vaginalis, iris). Even more pronounced is the resorption 

 power of the lungs with their extraordinary superficial area, their 

 very rich supply of blood and lymph vessels, the thin epithelium 

 of the alveoli with the numerous stomata, and the continuous 

 aspiratory effect of their inspiratory activity. The resorption 

 activity of the mucous membranes differs with their anatomical 

 structure. It is most active in mucous membranes with ciHated 

 (trachea, bronchi) and cylindrical epithelium (intestines, pyloric 

 portion of the gastric mucous membrane, uterus) ; less active in 

 mucous membranes with pavement epithelium (mouth, pharynx, 

 oesophagus, cardiac portion of the gastric mucous membrane, 

 bladder). The capacity for resorption is least in the unbroken 

 skin, which is only permeable to volatile substances (ether, alcohol, 

 ethereal and alcoholic solutions, chloroform, carbolic acid, ethereal 

 oils and mercury), and also for fats (salves) and soaps when they 

 are rubbed in under pressure. On the other hand, the exposed 

 rete malpighii and corium, with their extensive system of lymph 

 and blood vessels, possess high resorption powers. This is also 

 true of muscle and connective tissue. 



Therapeutic Methods. — Fluid and solid pathological products 

 may be removed by supporting or assisting the physiological proc- 

 esses of resorption by mechanical, thermic, chemical (medicines) 

 and electrical methods, or by operative interference. In addition, 

 dietetic, specific and indirect (derivative) methods may also be 

 employed. Those most used are the dietetic, mechanical (exer- 

 cise, massage), medical (resorbent, rubifacient, derivative and 

 specific drugs) and operative methods. 



The dietetic method seeks to bring about the resorption of 

 pathological collections by withholding food (hunger cure) and 

 water (dry cure), by regulating the relative proportion of nutritive 

 substances (reducing treatment) and by increasing metabolism 

 (work). 



The mechanical methods are, principally, exercise and massage 

 (see those chapters). 



One of the important surgical methods is the artificial pro- 



