THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 263 



In contradistinction to the inhibitory or restraining action of 

 some nerves there is also a provision in the nervous system for 

 augmentation or increase of action in some nerve centres; this 

 provision is evidently intended by an all-wise Creator to counter- 

 act difficulties that would, without it, otherwise arise in connec- 

 tion with the circulation of the blood, as the effect of such power 

 of augmentation is most noticeable by the way in which the cali- 

 bre of blood vessels is regulated; without an extra stimulus, at 

 times, the ordinary blood pressure in the vessels would be insuffi- 

 cient to keep up the necessary regularity in the normal blood 

 supply to all parts; were this counteracting provision for regulat- 

 ing the blood pressure unprovided in all probability some parts 

 would be overloaded and congested with blood, while others would 

 be lacking and anaemic. 



Both inhibition and augmentation in nerve action are conditions 

 which may become unduly established; that is to say, each par- 

 ticular function after being brought into action may continue 

 beyond the time or period in which it may be useful or necessary, 

 and thus become a disease; the principle of the regulator of a 

 watch somewhat explains the condition of affairs; when a time- 

 keeper goes too fast and gains, the regulator iray be moved too 

 far in the contrary direction and the watch thereafter loses time; 

 so long as the regulator is allowed to remain in this position the 

 losing of time goes on; in like manner the nervous system may 

 get out of order and require regulating; a study of the chapter 

 on the diseases of the heart, its treatment, and the remedies which 

 have a special affinity for that organ, will materially assist in over- 

 coming the difficulties arising out of the irregularities in the nerv- 

 ous system just referred to, inasmuch as having discovered the 

 totality of the symptoms and the drug peculiar to the same, the 

 irregularity which has become established in certain nerve sup- 

 plies will, under the action of such remedy, speedily be corrected 

 and that frequently without the drug being included in the list of 

 so-called nerve tonics, which is the kind of treatment generally 

 resorted to by allopaths for these nervous disorders; the matter of 

 chief importance for the practical horseman, who has to depend 

 upon his own unaided powers of discrimination to discern condi- 

 tions in an animal that are frequently most difficult of recognition, 

 is to bear in mind that intimate relations exist between the various 



