[ 35 1 ] 
cold water, and the refiftance neceffarily given, by 
that means, to the circulation, muft occafion a vaft 
furcharge of blood in the auricles and ventricles of the 
heart, already too weak to perform its office with 
fufficient power. Befides the impropriety of juch a 
hep while there was reafon to think, that the in- 
flammatory fpiffitude of the blood was by no means 
overcome, the preternatural diftention was doubtless 
increafed by this means. 
From hence, however, may be deduced an u lei ul 
hint in practice j namely, where, from the hate of 
the pulfe, from a palpitation of the heart, a faint weak 
voice, an aptitude to fall into lipothymies from hight 
caules, or from the concurrence of any other fymp- 
toms, we have reafon to fufpedt, that the heai t is too 
weak; infuch cafes, not to dired cold bathing, until 
the patient has been prepared for it, by going into wa- 
ter between the degrees of tepid and quite cold water; 
nav, probably, it might be better to wait, before cold 
bathing be prefcribed at all, till the e fifed: of meai- 
cines feems previoufly to have invigorated, in lome 
degree, the cardiac fyhem. 
The conhdering the heart as a mufcle capable, like 
all others, of great alteration refpeding its tone ; and, 
at the fame time, that iuch alteration muft effentially 
affedt the whole animal ceconomy, from _ the very 
great importance of the organ itfelf, is evidently of 
great ufe in medicine. It muft affift us in accounting 
for feveral phenomena that occur in various diiorders, 
which are utterly inexplicable by other means ; and 
of confequence, muft lead to a mom fucceisful ptac- 
tice. In nervous diforders, and in Fevers of the pu- 
trid malignant kind for inftance, we find the heart o 
extraordinarily 
