OV INFLAMMATION. 13 



ar it may arise in consequence of the ganglia! system of nerves communicating their 

 disordered excitement, which has commenced in them to these cerebral nerves with 

 which they are associated in the textures : for, as we have already stated, the ganglia! 

 nerves being plentifully distributed to the capillary vessels in every part and tissue of 

 the body, must consequently communicate freely, and come closely in contact with the 

 sentient or voluntary class of nerves, especially in those textures which are abundantly 

 supplied with them. By means'of this connexion the excited functions of the former class 

 is very probably communicated to the sentient extremities of the other class, and the sen- 

 sibility of the latter being thus excited, is still farther promoted by the derangement of 

 the capillaries which the former nerves induce. But this phenomenon of inflammation 

 jhay not result exclusively in the one manner or in the other. It may take place in both 

 ways in the same part, or in the one or the other more or less partially. In those vis- 

 cera which are imperfectly supplied with the cerebro-spinal nerves, the first alternative 

 may be adopted. Indeed, in these textures very considerable inflammation may exist 

 xvithout any other modification of pain than uneasy sensations being felt ; whereas, in 

 the other organs, whose supply of sentient nerves is considerable, the second explana- 

 tion may be entertained ; whilst in some viscera both modes of accounting for this mor- 

 bjd manifestation may be resorted to. But whatever manner of explanation should be 

 adopted, according to the distinction just now stated, it ought not to be forgotten that 

 this particular manifestation of disease is modified, throughout its manifold grades, by 

 the texture of the part effected, and by the exciting and other causes to which it is 

 indebted for its existence and progress. 



According to this view of the subject it will be observed, that we consider the pain 

 of inflammation as originating in, or caused by, the condition of the particular influence 

 or function performed by the fibrillse or the ganglia! system of nerves, as a state of 

 these nerves produced deranged action of the capillaries to .vhich they are distributed, 

 and exciting or otherwise disturbing the sensibility and functions of the other class of 

 p.erves with which they become associated in many of the textures ; whereas the most 

 acute pains, those which are not necessarily attended with inflammation, and very sel- 

 dom give rise to it, as those accompanying tic douloureux, trismus, the various forms of 

 spasmodic diseases, and some other painful disorders which it is unnecessary to desig- 

 nate, originate exclusively in the fibrillse of the cerebro-spinal nerves. This appears to 

 be an important and fundamental distinction in pathology, and one which we have 

 adopted, not without much reflection and pathological research. It accounts for a very 

 frequent phenomena, namely, the presence of the most violent pain when there are no 

 appearances o{ inflammation either during its existence or after its subsidence. It shows 

 also that, with the exception of the countenance, and one or two other parts, excite- 

 ment commencing in the cerebro-spinal or sentient nerves, has but little immediate in- 

 fluence upon the capillary circulation ; and it also points out, that whatever influence 

 these nerves may possess over the circulation and the vital phenomena allied to it, 

 it is only by means of exciting the ganglial nerves distributed to the structure of the 

 part, and to the blood-vessels ramifying in it, that any such influences can be exerted. 

 This, it may be siiown, were it necessary to speculate respecting final causes, is a pro- 

 vision requisite to the preservation of the textures, and consequently of the animal body; 

 for if the circulation throughout the different textures and organs were immediately under 

 the dominion of the sentient nerves, and removed from that of the ganglial, we should 

 have not only all the phenomena which more strictly belong to it, but all the vital ma- 

 nifestations of nutrition, secretion, animal heat, &c. which are under the influence of 

 the gang-Rome system, subjected to continual derangement from the various impulses of 

 the will and the passions. As these functions, on which the preservation of the indivi- 

 dual depends, are under the dominion of another and less fluctuating influence, they are 

 less endangered by the numerous causes of change by which they are constantly sur- 

 rounded, and with which they hold frequent communication. But, although tiie func- 

 tions which are immediately vital are those which belong the province of this system, 

 they may be acted upon either generally or partially through the medium of the ner- 

 vous system of relation, or of animal life, which system has its own particular functions 

 to perform, and these occasionally exert no mean influence over those of the former 

 class. 



2. Redness, or the injection of the capillaries -with red blood. This phenomenon has crea- 

 ted much discussion, It would be foreign to our plan to enter at this place upon the 

 different arguments which have been entertained respecting it. We shall merely state 

 our own opinion as to its nature. 



The vital influence of the ganglial class of nerves is, as we have just now stated, mor- 

 bidly increased in the effected part, especially as respects these nerves distributed more 

 directly to the capillaries. We observe, on every occasion in the animal economy, that 



