306 CONSTITUTIONAL DEFECTIVENESS. [BOOK II. 



seem necessary to a right understanding of each 

 particular complaint. 



All those disorders in common, together with 

 several others, we have no hesitation in attributing 

 their remote cause to constitutional defectiveness, at 

 least ; or incapacity in the function of circulation, 

 better known by the homely expression, " a bad state 

 of the humours," as before insisted upon, principally 

 at pages 150 — 152; 171 — 178. Both series are 

 referable to the same predisposing cause. That 

 species of inflammation of the whole system which 

 we have agreed to tevm fever, frequently terminates 

 by concentrating its latent humours, and depositing 

 the same critically in some fleshy part of the car- 

 cass or limbs, producing matter (or pus, which, 

 with heat, constitutes the disease), that is corroding, 

 sharp, acrid, and extremely offensive to the senses 

 when brought forth, as it certainly is while yet con- 

 fined in its cell, or cyst. These latter constitute 

 the class of tumours termed bursce mucosce. 



Whether abscess or tumour supervene, both have 

 immediate connexion with blood-vessels of no small 

 consideration, though the disorder may have com- 

 menced with the finer vessels {capillaries), as in- 

 sisted upon at the pages above referred to ; and hath 

 been repeatedly proved : first, as regards tumours, 

 these being probed, the patients have bled to death, 

 with arterial blood. And secondly, in every case 

 of abscess, in proportion as they increase in size, 

 so does the patient's strength and quantity inva- 

 riably diminish. When nature makes an opening 



