65 
ON THERAPEUTICS. 
all organs in the body, are most easily acted upon; nor does 
the practitioner hesitate to avail himself of this circumstance 
in the treatment of disease; the susceptibility is, however, 
in one sense unfortunate, as it exposes animals to the officious 
meddling of the ignorant, who, by obtaining cheap and 
powerful drugs, in the form of diuretic balls, can stimulate 
an important portion of the organism to any degree that 
may suit their tastes, to the manifest injury of the subject so 
maltreated. 
» • ' * 5 
DIAPHORETICS. 
The importance of the perspiratory secretion as a means of 
removing from the system a large quantity of effete matter 
is fully recognised both by the physiologist and pathologist. 
During the maintenance of perfect health, the function in 
the lower animals is probably sufficiently active ; the ordi¬ 
nary work necessitates a certain periodical excretion from the 
skin, while the absence of artificial clothing during that work 
permits the atmosphere to have free access to the exposed 
surface. When animals are suffering from disease of any 
kind, the perspiration is usually diminished. In inflamma¬ 
tions, fevers, anaemia, plethora, and a variety of other morbid 
conditions, a dry harsh state of skin is the proof of defective 
function. Irrespective of any positive derangement, “ inac¬ 
tivity” alone—what we should term in man a sedentary 
habit—is sufficient to occasion this diminished action of the 
skin. 
The effects of insufficient perspiration are imperfect puri¬ 
fication of the blood, owing to the retention of carbonic acid 
and other impurities, to an extent that may be estimated by 
calculating the area occupied by the sudoriferous follicles of 
the whole integument. Not only will the vitality of the body 
suffer from this defective elimination of impurities, and the 
non-absorption of the stimulant oxygen, but the other exr 
cretory organs, to wit, the lungs, liver, and kidneys, have an 
undue share of duty to perform,—in all probability more than 
they are equal to. 
Perspiration is ordinarily “ insensible”—or in the form of 
vapour, constantly escaping into the surrounding air. 
When produced in amount too large for the atmosphere to 
absorb at once, or when the evaporation is very rapid, or the 
atmosphere of low temperature, it is deposited as water upon 
the skin, and is then termed t( sensible perspiration.” The 
quantity of the secretion will generally be proportioned to 
the activity of the circulation, which may be excited by ex¬ 
ercise, or by stimulant medicines, or by pain, or by a heated 
