164 Memoirs of Erasmus Darwin, M.D. 



and consequent inflammation of those lymphatic glands where 

 they first arrive, as in the axilla and groin. There is- reason 

 to suspect, that the tonsils frequently become inflamed,- and 

 suppurate from the matter absorbed from carious teeth ', and 

 J saw a young lady, who had both the axillary glands swell- 

 ed, and which suppurated ; ...which was believed to have 

 been caused by her wearing a pair of new green gloves for 

 one day, when she had perspired much, and was much ex- 

 hausted and fatigued by walking : the gloves were probably 

 dyed in a solution of verditer. 



These indolent tumours of the lymphatic glands, which 

 constitute the scrophula, originate from the inirritability of 

 those glands ; which therefore sooner fall into torpor after 

 having been stimulated too violently by some poisonous 

 material ; as the muscles of enfeebled people sooner become 

 fatigued, and cca?e to act, when exerted, than those of 

 stronger ones. On the same account these scrophulous 

 glands are much longer in acquiring increase of motion, 

 after having been stimulated into inactivity, and either re- 

 main years in a state of indolence, or suppurate with diffi- 

 culty, and sometimes only partially. 



The difference between scrophulous tumours, and. those 

 before described, consists in. this ; that in those either glands 

 of different kinds were diseased, or the mouths only of the 

 lymphatic glands were become torpid ; whereas in scrophula 

 the conglobate glands themselves become tumid, and gene- 

 rally suppurate after a great length of time, when they ac- 

 quire new sensibility. 



These indolent tumours may be brought to suppurate 

 sometimes by passing electric shocks through them every 

 day for two or three weeks, as I have witnessed. It is pro- 

 bable, that the alternate, application of snow or iced water 

 to them, till they become painfully cold, and then of warm 

 tiannel or warm water, frequently repeated, might restore 

 their irritability by accumulation .of sensorial power; and 

 thence either facilitate their dispersion, or occasion them to 

 suppurate. 



This disease is very frequent amongst the children of the 

 poor In large towns, who are in general ill fed, ill lodged, 



and 



