e L A N B. 



preceding clafs ; but dn'oafcs exhibit inftane—, of tlicm. In- 

 flaminatiorio of t!ic livir. kidiipy, f.;livai-y fyftc-ni, &:c. {hcvr 

 various phenonieiia j-rodiiced fympathetically in oilier fyf- 

 tems. 



Bicliat, in his Aiialomie Gencralc, gives the following 

 view of the cha,raftL-rs whi^h dillinguiili the vital proptrlies 

 of the glandular fyflem. 



I ft. PecuUnr Sttalily (-vita propnn) of each glatid — 

 The Vitality of the glands, refultina; from the preceding 

 powers coiiiidcred in a ilale of acilon, is not uniform 

 in the whole fyllem ; becaufe the ftruftiire varies in every 

 inftancc, and each tilTue pofTenes a pcci))iar niodification of 

 vitality. Hence rei'ult many phenomena noticed by Bordeu. 

 I. There are certain matters on wjiich alone each gland can 

 aft in the natm-jl Hate. Thu.i the falivary apparatus does 

 not form bile, the liver diies not feparate urine, ivc.; and on 

 this principle the diff.-rc-nce of the fccretioiis ii founded. In 

 the fame way cantharides aft particularly on the urinary 

 organs ; mercury on the falivary glands, &c. 2. Each 

 gland has its particular mode of fympathy. Thus the liver 

 afts efpecially on the brain, the kidney influences the flo- 

 liiach, the uteru.s and brea'.ls affeft each other, &c. 3. Each 

 glandular inflammati' in has a peculiar cliaratter : that of the 

 kidney is different from that of the hver or tellicle ; the 

 inflamed proftate has very different fyniptoms from the telHs 

 in fuch a condition. 4. Every gland has peculiar difcafes, or 

 fome at lead to which it is more expofcd than others. Hy- 

 datids, which are very common in the liver, are never fecn 

 in the falivary glands or tellicle. Sarcocele is extremely com- 

 rrion, while notliiiig is more unfrequent than an enlarged pa- 

 rotid. Tiie liver alone exhibits that peculiar alteration, 

 which conftitutes the fatty Hate ; and is the moll frequent 

 feat of fteatomatoua tumours. Phyficians, who have not 

 been converfant with the infpeftion of morbid cafes, life the 

 vague and infignificant terms of obftruftion and induration 

 fbr every kind of glandular enlargement. Tiie increafe of 

 fize is the only common charafter of fuch afteftions, while 

 the nature of the tumour is entirely different. 5. Every 

 gland prefents fome peculiar modifications in what are called 

 the critical evacuations, occafionally confequent on acute 

 difeafes. 6. The different vitality of the glands occafions 

 them to re-aft at very different intervals, in confequcnce of 

 direft irritation, or fympathetic excitation. Tlie lacrymal 

 gland, for example, pours out fuddcnly an abundant fecre- 

 tion, when irritated ; while the kidnies or pancreas can be 

 excited only very flowly. 



2d CharaBer. Iiiacllve Jlate of the vital poiL<crs. — The 

 glands are fubjeft to habitual alternations of increafd and 

 diminifhed aftion. The animal funftions are elpecially in- 

 fluenced by lleep, which completely fulpends them. The 

 aftion of the glands is only partially diminilhed at certain 

 times, except in difeafe, when it is fometimes completely tuf- 

 pended. Bichat compares the fleep of the animal life to the 

 intervals of intermittent fevers, where tiie apyrexia is com- 

 plete : and the fle.-p of the glands to thole of remittent fe- 

 vers, where the fymptoms are merely diminilhed in degree. 

 Saliva. flows into the mouth abundantly duriug mallication ; 

 itmerely moiftens the cavity at other times. The pancreas 

 and liver pour out their fecretions profufely, while the Jood 

 is in the duodenum : they aft much lefs intenlely during the 

 flate of abitinence. The kidney is particularly exerted fome 

 little time after a meal. The «ntermilhoins in the ac- 

 tion of the breafts are almoft as complete as tliofe of tlie or- 

 gans of animal life. Every mucous gland has its particular 

 period of fecretion : it is, when the furface, on which the 

 du'ft opens, isin contaft with any fubflauce eitlier retained 

 jnthc.cavity, or pafTing through it. We mull, therefore, form 



tliis notion of th<? office of th» glands; that thev conflantly 

 feparate a fluid from the blood, but that ll.ey are more ac- 

 tive at certain periods, and conftquently fumifh a more 

 abundant fiippiy. 



'I'iiis remittence of the glandular aftion, fays Bichat, de- 

 pends on a caufe analogous to that of fleep, which anfes, in 

 the animal life, from the fatigue experienced by the organs 

 of iciifation and locomotion, after a continuance of aftion. 

 The lafTitud'-, of wliich the glands are fiifceptible, is not ge- 

 nerally marked by any painful feeling ; yet there is in the 

 breall, after long fuckling, a kind of dragging frnfation, 

 and aftual pain is felt in the teflis after emiluon has been re- 

 peated two or three times. 



3d Cbarader — Tiie vitality of the glands is ne»er Cfi- 

 ci-eafed at the fame time in the whole fyllem. "When one is 

 in aftion, the otlurs are in a Hate of remiflion. Wc might 

 conceive, fays Bichat, that there is only a determinate quan- 

 tity of vital power., for the whole, and that one cannot be 

 exerted uiiufually without a correfponding diminution 

 in therell. Thcdigellive apparatus is accommodated to 

 this law. At firlt the falivary fyllem produces- an abundant 

 fecretion ; t!;en tiie Itomach comes into aftion ; thirdly, when 

 the ehyme enters the duodenum, the liver and panc«cas are 

 principally exerted ; at the fourth period, tlie mucous glands 

 ot tlie large intelline aft ; and laftly, the kidn?-y cxercifes its 

 peculiar olSce to evacuate the relidue of the fluids. All the 

 glands cannot acl at once ; as, in the external movenwnt?, 

 certain mufcles are always in a condition of repofe, while 

 other.sarecontrafted. The moft improper tnne for coition 

 is during digellion, becaufe the mucous, pancreatic, hepatic 

 lecretiftus, &c. mull then be performed at the fame time with 

 that of the tellicle. In difeafes, the fecretion of one gland 

 la encrealed at tlie expence of others. This charafter 

 of the glandular fyllem is only an ciiample of the general 

 charafter belonging to all the vital powers, by which, when 

 increafed at one point, they are proportionally diminiflied in 

 fome other fituation. Hence large abfcefles, confiderable 

 tumours, and dropfies are always attended with debility of 

 the glandular aftion. On the fame principle is founded the 

 ule oi blillers, fetons, moxa, cauteries, S;c. which do not 

 aft, as old phyficians fuppofed, by evacuating any morbid 

 matters, but by putting an end to the irritation in the dif- 

 eafed part, by means ot that wlrfeh they determine in fome 

 other organ. 



4th Chiiraclcr. — Influence of climate and the feafons 00 

 the vitahly of the glands. From the preceding charafter is 

 derived another phenomenon, v.hich may be conlidered pe- 

 culiar to the glandular fyllem ; ivz. that it Ls in general 

 more aftive in winter tlian in iummer, in cold than in warm 

 chmates. Warmth, by relaxing tlie integuments, increafcs 

 tlie cutaneous difcharge at the expence of that of tl>c 

 glands ; v\ bile the aftion of cold is the inverfe of the pre- 

 ceding. Hence the fame fluid, introduced into the body, 

 is expelled in Iummer by the Ikin, in winter by the kidnies. 



5th CharaBir. — Influence of fex on the vital properties 

 of the glands. Is the vitality of thefe organs niijre aftive 

 in the male than in the female ? In thofe \vliich are fubfcr- 

 viait to diirelUon, the lacryniiJ and urinary fecretion, &c. 

 the t«v fexes exhibit very little difference. In the gene- 

 rative lyilem, the male polfelTes the addition of tcrticles and 

 proitate, the female of mammary glands; fo that here tlierc 

 IS a compenlaiion. But the inttncnce of tlie tormor on the 

 ar.imal economy very much exceeds in its force that of the 

 latter. 



D.vdoptincttt of the Glandular Syftcm. 



I. ^tate of this fyfiem in the /r/uj. — Although the fccre- 

 ^ q 2 tion? 



