204 Deiw ft VETERINARY MEDItINE AND SURGERY 
Now, if it can be made to appear that disease consists, in it 
nature and effects, in increased vital action or increased health of 
any portion of the body diseased, then will it be proved that poi- 
sons are, and of necessity must be, medicines or the agents to cure 
disease. But whut are we taught by our brethren of the heroic 
school upon this point? ‘In spontaneous disease,” that is, dis- 
ease which occurs without any apparent cause, HUNTER contends, 
“we know of no method that will entirely quiet or remove the 
inflammatory action or disposition, All we can do, probably, is 
to lessen every thing which has a tendency to keep it up. In- 
flammation is either an increase of life or an increase of a dispa- 
sition to use it.” 
Again: “Qne of the means of curing this inflammation,” says 
the same author, “is by producing weakness. The means of pro- 
ducing weakness of an absolute character are, bleeding, purging, 
and the exhibition of poisonous agents. The inconvenience, how- 
ever, arising from this practice is, that the sound and healthy 
parts must. suffer nearly in the same proportion with the di.eased ; 
for, by bringing the inflamed parts on a par with health, the 
sound parts must be brought much lower, so as to be too low, 
The first method, namely, bleeding, will have the greatest, the 
most permanent, the most lasting effect; because, if it have say 
effect at all, the diseased action can not be soon renewed; the 
second, purging and poisoning, will act as auxiliary, so that these 
processes go hand in hand; but neither these nor sickness can pos- 
sibly lessen the original inflammatory disposition. Lessening the 
power of action belonging to the inflammatory disposition can 
only lessen or protect its effects, which, however, may be of serv- 
ice, as less mischief will be done, and this will often give the 
inflamcd disposition time to wear itself out. But this practice 
taust not be carried too far. It must be followed with great 
judgment. Nothing debilitates so much as purging, if carried 
beyond a certain point. Even one purging may kill when the 
constitution is much reduced. The internal medicines generally 
ordered for the cure of inflammations are such as have a similar 
effect to that of bleeding; namely, lowering the constitution ur 
the action of the parts. As inflammation has too much action, 
which action gives the idea of strength, such applications as 
weaken are recommended.” 
Here, then, are the reasons for the use of poisons to cure dis 
