action of Medicines, &c. 261 
on the ground, but this went off as soon as the foot was again 
placed in a horizontal posture. A nausea, or half sickness, 
came on ; my pulse, which is naturally 80 in a minute, was 
lowered to 60, and intermitted. In 10 hours, the nausea was 
gone off, but I remained languid, the pulse beating 70 in a 
minute. I had some appetite for food. 
The following morning, my pulse was 80, and having 
passed a good night, I was enabled to walk as usual, and fol- 
low the duties of my profession. 
If these observations shall be confirmed, they must lead us 
to conclude, that the different kinds of substances, which pro- 
duce specific diseases, are first carried into the circulation, in 
the same manner as mineral and animal poisons, and that the 
medicines by which they are acted upon, go through the same 
course, before they produce their beneficial effects ; a mate- 
rial step will thus be gained in the consideration of diseases, 
and the modes of treating them. 
m 2 
