546 On Chronic Bebilitij 



acidity of the stomach, in slight cases of this sort, is not 

 evident to a cursory observer in some instances until a 

 considerable period has elapsed ; in others acid is vom- 

 ited up, in large quantities, in fifteen minutes, in oth- 

 ers in ten minutes, in others in five, and even 

 sooner. Does a morbid secretion begin and advance 

 to this extent so speedily ? I have no hesitation in 

 asserting my belief that it does. In severe cases, and 

 in debilitated stomachs, it commences perhaps imme- 

 -diately after the injury is done. I well remember that in 

 two instances, where i suddenly fainted away from extreme 

 pain occasioned by violence done to a particular part of 

 the body ; I found on reviving, great coldness on the sur- 

 face of the body, and much acid in the stomach, whei^ 

 before there was little appearance of that evil. The par- 

 oxysm, in either case, did not exceed four or five minutes* 

 Is it not reasonable to conclude that, the secreting vessels | 

 commence a wrong action at their mouths, as soon as they * 

 are disordered, from the concussion, or from the derange- 

 ment of the brain, or from the torpor and chilliness of 

 the cutaneous vessels ; and that this wrong action is pro- 

 pagated throughout the secreting vessels almost instanta- 

 neously. 



The following case may serve as an illust-ration c£ the 

 foregoing assertions : About a year ago, one evening on 

 my return from a journey to New- York in the stage, alady^ 

 who had appeared through the day to be in perfect health, 

 was suddenly rendered unwell in the following manner : 

 In consequence of the destruction of several bridges, and 

 other injury done to the turnpike road by repeated and 

 copious rains, it was necessary in a certain part of the 

 route to pass over several males of an .uneven and stony 

 bye-road. In a particular part of this road lay a small 

 bridge, the descent from which was between one and two 

 feet. We passed over this bridge rapidly. The fall of 

 the carriage was sudden and violent. The passengers 

 were all much jolted, and the lady abovementioned imme- 

 diately fainted. On her account we rode the remainder 

 of the distance slowly to the stage house. It was between 

 twenty and thirty minutes before we arrived. During 

 the whole of this period she continued totally bereft" of 



