50 ON THE NAVICULAR DISEASE. 



disease as we have over any less important, organ 

 when attacked with inflammation ; for, complex as 

 this joint confessedly is, and although composed of 

 materials such as tendon, ligament, and cartilage, 

 parts not remarkable for inherent renovating quali- 

 ties, still I am convinced they possess enough for 

 our purpose, provided we act promptly. 



The first step, and which is indispensable, con- 

 sists in bleeding from the inflamed part till the 

 quantity abstracted locally has aifected the consti- 

 tution generally. 

 On copious I should like to be informed whether this plan of 



bleedings lo- 

 cally, combating with local diseases of the inflammatory 



kind is practised in human surgery — that of ab- 

 stracting arterial blood locally till the heart and 

 system generally are affected. 



I hope you will excuse the introduction of the 

 following speculative remarks as to the modus ope- 

 randi in this method of bleeding. 



When inflammation exists in the limb of any 

 animal to an alarming degree, it is not sulficicnt 

 merely to lessen the contents of the inflamed ves- 

 sels, and materially diminish their volume, but one 

 thing more should be eflected, precisely at this 

 juncture, viz. syncope, or that state of the heart 

 which is a near approach to it ; and thus, for one 

 or more moments, the whole vascular system is in- 

 terrupted or stopped ; but reaction presently suc- 

 ceeds in the capiflary vessels of the inflamed part, 



