INFLAMMATION. 
396 
in the other : the quantity of blood passing through the vessel 
of one foot is twice as great as in the other. I may, perhaps, be 
told, that this fact tends to establish the theory of congestion— 
that when an egress is afforded to the blood, the distended vessels 
are enabled to contract on their contents and force them forward; 
but how will the supporters of that doctrine get over the fact, 
that the blood which flows from the inflamedfoot is much brighter in 
colour than that from the opposite foot ? Could this possibly 
have been the case under any other state of the parts than an 
increased circulatory action? A knowledge of the physiology of 
the blood tells us, no ! Detention of the fluid, by whatever cause 
produced, would have had an opposite effect; but this is too ob¬ 
vious to the youngest student for me to dilate upon it here. 
Again , the venous trunk, conveying the blood from an inflamed 
organ to the centre of circulation , is much more fully distended 
than its fellow on the opposite side , and , like the affected part itself\ 
will yield twice as much, almost of an arterial character. Here is 
proof upon proof, so satisfactory that I am sure any remarks of 
mine would be a mere waste of time; I shall, therefore, pass on 
to the consideration of another part of my subject, viz. 
The perverted action of the capillaries, manifested by a dispo¬ 
sition in the part to alter its secretions. In all the definitions of 
inflammation which I have heard, this peculiarity has been omit¬ 
ted ; but I am inclined to look upon it as a circumstance of some 
importance—as absolutely necessary to the formation of a just 
and accurate notion of the nature of the affection. Inflamma¬ 
tion is not simply an increased, but likewise a perverted action of 
the vessels; it is not merely an alteration in the degree, but like¬ 
wise in the kind of action. In the parotid glands, during masti¬ 
cation, we have an increased action of the vessels—a greater 
quantity of blood is sent to the part, and an infinitely greater 
function is performed; yet this bears no resemblance to inflam¬ 
mation. Again, in the uterus, after impregnation, an increased 
quantity of blood is distributed to the organ, an increased action 
takes place, and an increased performance of function is the re¬ 
sult; but there is nothing like inflammation—there is an altera¬ 
tion in degree, but not in kind. I therefore take it, that inflam¬ 
mation is essentially a perverted , a morbid action of the capilla¬ 
ries, and that it is not simply “ an increase of the vital properties 
of the part it affects/’ In slight cases this perverted action takes 
place to so trifling an extent that its effects are scarcely noticed; 
yet I can conceive, that m every case it not only exists, but is the 
very basis of the affection. Let us take a very common exam¬ 
ple : Suppose that the process termed inflammation occurs in 
the cartilago-ligamentous substance uniting the ossa metacarpi; 
