ON THERAPEUTICS. 
585 
lation and respiration are excited at the same time—not 
from the mere motion of the animal’s body, but from the 
diffusion of the nervous excitement on which that motion 
depends. The excitement will continue in proportion to the 
intensity of the impression and the healthy condition of 
the organism; it may subside a few minutes after exertion 
has ceased, or it may continue for an hour before the system 
shall become perfectly tranquil. 
The duration of excited action for an indefinite period 
will amount to disease, as it can only occur when some 
organ or part has suffered derangement of its circulation. 
While the heart’s action is increased it must be remembered 
that blood is sent over the body at an unusual rate, but so 
long as all the vessels possess a sufficient tonicity no ob¬ 
struction occurs; but in the event of weakness in a part, 
vascular distension will result from the inability of the 
vessels to carry on the blood at the rate of its supply. Local 
determination may therefore be the consequence of local 
debility, associated with general excitement of the circu¬ 
lation; but local determination cannot occur merely from 
excited action of the heart unconnected with local causes. 
The decrease of excited function presupposes diminution 
of nervous action, and free circulation through the vessels 
of the part. These changes are to be effected by the aid of 
therapeutics, or occur as consequences of the inherent pro¬ 
perties of the animal textures; the subsidence of nervous 
action being the natural result of rest or inaction, which at 
the same time restores the impaired elasticity and contrac¬ 
tility of the vessels, and renders facile the equalization of 
the circulation. 
The method of cure here is simple enough; but compli¬ 
cations are possible. There may be certain products of dis¬ 
eased action which can only be removed by absorption—a 
process by means of which the deposits are taken again into 
the system, or by various methods of expulsion—by sloughing, 
by abscess, or by admixture with the excretions. These com¬ 
plications do not affect the first steps in the cure, nor upon 
investigation will they be found to be more than the con¬ 
sequences of the ordinary and natural functions of the body. 
Excess of structure is a disease of the nutritive function, 
and depends upon local vascular excitement. The excess 
may be constituted of healthy structure, or of texture in a 
changed condition, according to the state of the blood, or of 
the vessels of the part. Our remarks upon the products of 
diseased action apply to all these conditions of structure. 
