322 
ON INFLAMMATION. 
cal pipes, yet endowed with a wondrous power of self-adapta¬ 
tion, we find in the capillary tubes the true development of 
the principle of organic life. 
These muscles are involuntary; and derive their power of ac¬ 
tion from the ganglial or organic nerves, with a mesh-work of 
which their coats are enveloped, and which, being first detect¬ 
ed on the carotids and their branches, accompany all the arte¬ 
rial ramifications until they elude our power of observation. 
As the healthy action of the muscles of voluntary motion 
seems to depend on the due and natural supply of nervous in¬ 
fluence from the motor columns of the spinal cord, and a supply 
undue in quantity, and extending to many muscles, will pro¬ 
duce violent and constant contraction of them under the form of 
tetanus,—and, still undue in quantity, but limited in extent, 
spasm of particular parts,—and irregular and general, as well as 
violent, epilepsy,—irregular and local, chorea,—and the total sus¬ 
pension of nervous influence, palsy; so an undue supply of 
energy from the ganglial system, directed to these organic 
muscles, will produce increased action of them, local or general, 
according as the supply of morbid energy is limited to a parti¬ 
cular spot, or extends over considerable portions of the frame; 
and assuming the characters of local or general inflammation, 
inflammation of a part, or general fever. 
The nature of inflammation is a most important subject, for 
inflammation constitutes the essence of many diseases; and it is 
either the cause, or the consequence, or the companion of every 
malady. A clear conception of its nature and character is abso¬ 
lutely necessary to the adoption of that prompt and straight¬ 
forward treatment by which alone it can be subdued. There is 
no subject, however, which has been so unnecessarily and ab¬ 
surdly mystified. Few, indeed, have doubted that the capilla¬ 
ries are the original seat of the morbid action. They who have 
considered it to be primarily an affection of the heart or arteries 
have not been distinguished for the accuracy either of their phy¬ 
siology or their pathology. The most profound observers have 
assigned the capillaries as the birth-place of inflammatory action, 
although the arteries and the heart are, in the majority of cases, 
secondarily affected. 
There has, however, been much and needless mystery at¬ 
tached to the primary affection of the capillary vessels. The 
grand error was a false apprehension of the state of these vessels 
and their contents. While it was allowed that more blood was 
determined to the inflamed part, it was imagined that it was 
detained there, and that the vessels were in a state of conges¬ 
tion. Boerhaave accounted for this congestion by the supposi- 
