PARENCHYMATOUS AND SECRETORY INFLAMMATION. 437 



of Hunter, has reference to a much later stage in the 

 process ; the first point to be considered is always, how 

 far the tissues themselves become changed and their pro- 

 ducts assume a degenerative character, or how far, through 

 the passage of the fluids, the part is again freed from what 

 it has generated in itself, and how far thereby the dege- 

 neration of the part is avoided. Every parenchymatous 

 inflammation has from its outset a tendency to alter the 

 histological and functional character of an organ. Every 

 inflammation with free exudation in general affords a 

 certain degree of relief to the part ; it conveys away from 

 it a great part of the noxious matters with which it is 

 clogged, and the part therefore appears comparatively 

 to suffer much less than that which is the seat of a 

 parenchymatous disease. 



