ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE CUTANEOUS SECRETIONS. 467 
stance of death following the inability to continue respiratory 
combustion. 
Post-mortem examinations fully confirm that this is owing to 
the carbonization of the blood, which is the principal, predominant, 
and primitive and continuous cause of all the organic disorders 
which successively induce the cessation of the vital functions. 
Everywhere, the blood presents a black pitchy character, imbuing 
all tissues in which it appears with the same ; a certain sign of 
super-saturation with the principles of combustion, the same as 
happens in asphyxia. So that the death that supervenes, on the 
application of any plaster over the entire cutaneous surface of the 
body, is a veritable asphyxia, identical with pulmonary asphyxia. 
Now, let us see if these curious results in any way tend to the 
interpretation of spontaneous pathological phenomena daily coming 
under our notice. 
The suppression of perspiration has at all times been thought to 
have a good deal to do with the production of disease. Without 
doubt this has been exaggerated. But, allowing this exaggera- 
tion, is it not admitted by all practitioners that causes which act 
through the medium of the skin are susceptible, in sufficient degree, 
of being appreciated in the circumstances ushering in the develop- 
ment of very many diseases, especially those characterised by any 
active flux of the visceral organs] For example ; is it not an in- 
contestible pathological fact, that catarrhal, bronchial, pulmonic, and 
pleuritic affections; — congestions of the most alarming description in 
the vascular abdominal system of the horse ; — inflammations of the 
peritoneum and womb supervening on parturition; — catarrhal in- 
flammations of the bowels, even congestion of the feet, &c. derive 
their origins, in a great number of instances, from cold applied to the 
skin in a state of perspiration ] What happens in the organism 
after the application of such a cause ] Is its effect instantaneous] 
Let us see. Immediately on the repercussive action of cold being 
felt by the skin, the vascular system of internal parts finds itself 
filled with the repelled blood. Though this effect, however, be sim- 
ply hydrostatic , the pathological phenomena consecutive of it are 
far otherwise. 
It is quite certain that, in the immense system of communicat- 
ing vessels forming the circulatory apparatus, whenever any large 
quantity of blood flows to any one particular part of the body, the 
other vessels of the system must be comparatively empty. The 
knowledge of this organic hydrostatic fact it is that has given ori- 
gin to the use of revulsives under their various forms, and we all 
well know how much service we derive from their use. 
But if this hemastatic condition operates actively as a cause 
in the production of inflammatory maladies, internal or external, 
