Zoonomia Volume Ii Part 13

(Pomme des Affections Vaporeuses, p. 25.) These remove the present symptoms; and bark, steel, exercise, coldish bath, prevent their returns.

See Art. VI. 2. 1.

11. _Hydrophobia._ Dread of water occasioned by the bite of a mad dog, is a violent inversion of the motions of the oesophagus on the contact or even approach of water or other fluids. The pharinx seems to have acquired the sensibility of the larinx in this disease, and is as impatient to reject any fluid, which gets into it. Is not the cardia ventriculi the seat of this disease? As in cardialgia the pain is often felt in the pharinx, when the acid material stimulates the other end of the ca.n.a.l, which terminates in the stomach. As this fatal disease resembles teta.n.u.s, or locked jaw, in its tendency to convulsion from a distant wound, and affects some other parts by a.s.sociation, it is treated of in Cla.s.s III. 1. 1. 15. and IV. 1.

2. 7.

ORDO III.

_Retrograde Irritative Motions._

GENUS II.

_Of the Absorbent System._

SPECIES.

1. _Catarrhus lymphaticus._ Lymphatic catarrh. A periodical defluxion of a thin fluid from the nostrils, for a few hours, occasioned by the retrograde motions of their lymphatics; which may probably be supplied with fluid by the increased absorption of some other lymphatic branches in their vicinity. It is distinguished from that mucous discharge, which happens in frosty weather from decreased absorption, because it is less salt to the taste; and from an increased secretion of mucus, because it is neither so viscid, nor is attended with heat of the part. This complaint is liable to recur at diurnal periods, like an intermittent fever, for weeks and months together, with great sneezing and very copious discharge for an hour or two.

I have seen two of these cases, both of which occurred in delicate women, and seemed an appendage to other hysteric symptoms; whence I concluded, that the discharge was occasioned by the inverted motions of the lymphatics of the nostrils, like the pale urine in hysteric cases; and that they might receive this fluid from some other branches of lymphatic vessels opening into the frontal or maxillary cavities in their vicinity.

Could such a discharge be produced by strong errhines, and excite an absorption of the congestion of lymph in the dropsy of the brain?

2. _Salivatio lymphatica._ Lymphatic salivation. A copious expuition of a pellucid insipid fluid, occasioned by the retrograde motions of the lymphatics of the mouth. It is sometimes periodical, and often attends the hysteric disease, and nervous fevers; but is not accompanied with a saline taste, or with heat of the mouth, or nausea.

3. _Nausea humida._ Moist nausea consists in a discharge of fluid, owing to the retrograde motions of the lymphatics about the fauces, without increase of heat, or saline taste, together with some retrograde motions of the fauces or pharinx; along with this nausea a sickness generally precedes the act of vomiting; which may consist of a similar discharge of mucus or chyle into the stomach by the retrograde motions of the lymphatics or lacteals, which open into it. See Cla.s.s I. 2. 4. 3. and I. 2. 4. 4.

M. M. Subacid liquids. Wine. Opium. A blister.

4. _Diarrhoea lymphatica._ Lymphatic diarrhoea. A quant.i.ty of mucus and lymph are poured into the intestines by the inverted motions of the intestinal lymphatics. The feces are less fetid and more liquid; and it sometimes portends the commencement of a diabaetes, or dropsy, or their temporary relief. This lymphatic diarrhoea sometimes becomes chronical, in which the atmospheric moisture, absorbed by the cutaneous and pulmonary lymphatics, is poured into the intestines by the retrograde motions of the lacteals. See Section XXIX. 4. 6. where some cases of this kind are related.

5. _Diarrhoea chylifera, coeliaca._ Chyliferous diarrhoea. The chyle drank up by the lacteals of the upper intestines is poured into the lower ones by the retrograde motions of their lacteals, and appears in the dejections.

This circ.u.mstance occurs at the beginning of diarrhoea c.r.a.pulosa, where the patient has taken and digested more aliment than the system can conveniently receive, and thus eliminates a part of it; as appears when there is curdled chyle in some of the dejections. See Sect. XXIX. 4. 7. It differs from the lymphatic diarrhoea, as the chyliferous diabaetes differs from the aqueous and mucaginous diabaetes.

6. _Diabaetes._ By the retrograde motions of the urinary lymphatics, an immense quant.i.ty of fluid is poured into the bladder. It is either termed chyliferous, or aqueous, or mucaginous, from the nature of the fluid brought into the bladder; and is either a temporary disease, as in hysteric women, in the beginning of intoxication, in worm cases, or in those exposed to cold damp air, or to great fear, or anxiety, or in the commencement of some dropsies; or it becomes chronical.

When the urinary lymphatics invert their motions, and pour their refluent contents into the bladder, some other branch of the absorbent system acts with greater energy to supply this fluid. If it is the intestinal branch, the chyliferous diabaetes is produced: if it is the cutaneous or pulmonary branch, the aqueous diabaetes is produced: and if the cellular or cystic branches, the mucaginous diabaetes. In the two last the urine is pellucid, and contains no sugar.

In dropsies the fluid is sometimes absorbed, and poured into the bladder by the retrograde motions of the urinary lymphatics, as during the exhibition of digitalis. In the beginning of the dropsies of infirm gouty patients, I have frequently observed, that they make a large quant.i.ty of water for one night, which relieves them for several days. In these cases the patient previously feels a fulness about the precordia, with difficult respiration, and symptoms similar to those of hysteria. Perhaps a previous defect of absorption takes place in some part of the body in those hysteric cases, which are relieved by a copious discharge of pale urine. See Diabaetes explained at large, Section XXIX. 4.

A discharge of blood sometimes attends the diabaetes, which was occasionally a symptom of that disease in Mr. Brindley, the great navigable ca.n.a.l maker in this country. Which may be accounted for by the communication of a lymphatic branch with the gastric branch of the vena portarum, as discovered by J. F. Meckel. See Section XXVII. 2.

M. M. Alum. Earth of Alum. Cantharides. Calomel. Bark. Steel. Rosin. Opium.

See Sect. XXIX. 4.

7. _Sudor lymphaticus._ Profuse sweats from the inverted motions of the cutaneous lymphatics, as in some fainting fits, and at the approach of death; and as perhaps in the sudor anglica.n.u.s. See Sect. XXIX. 5. These sweats are glutinous to the touch, and without increased heat of the skin; if the part is not covered, the skin becomes cold from the evaporation of the fluid. These sweats without heat sometimes occur in the act of vomiting, as in Sect. XXV. 9. and are probably the cause of the cold sweaty hands of some people. As mentioned in Sect. XXIX. 4. 9. in the case of R.

Davis, which he cured by frequent application of lime. Though it is possible, that cold sweaty hands may also arise from the want of due absorption of the perspirable matter effused on them, and that the coldness may be owing to the greater evaporation in consequence.

The acid sweats described by Dr. Dobson, which he observed in a diabaetic patient, and ascribes to the chyle effused on the skin, must be ascribed to the retrograde action of the cutaneous lymphatics. See Sect. XXIX. 6.

8. _Sudor asthmaticus._ The cold sweats in this disease only cover the head, arms, and breast, and are frequently exceedingly profuse. These sweats are owing to the inverted motions of the cutaneous lymphatics of the upper part of the body, and at the same time the increased absorption of the pulmonary absorbents: hence these sweats when profuse relieve the present fit of asthma. There is no other way to account for sweats appearing on the upper parts of the body only, but by the fluid having been absorbed by the lymphatic branch of the lungs, and effused on the skin by the retrograde movements of the cutaneous lymphatics; which join those of the lungs before they enter into the venous circulation. For if they were occasioned, as generally supposed, by the difficulty of the circulation of the blood through the lungs, the whole skin must be equally affected, both of the upper and lower parts of the body; for whatever could obstruct the circulation in the upper part of the venous system, must equally obstruct it in the lower part of it. See Sect. XXIX. 6. In the convulsive asthma these sweats do not occur; hence they may be distinguished; and might be called the hydropic asthma, and the epileptic asthma.

9. _Translatio puris._ Translation of matter from one part of the system to another can only be explained from its being absorbed by one branch of the lymphatic system, and deposited in a distant part by the retrograde motions of another branch; as mentioned Sect. XXIX. 7. 1. It is curious, that these translations of matter are attended generally, I believe, with cold fits; for less heat is produced during the retrograde action of this part of the system, as no secretion in the lymphatic glands of the affected branches can exist at the same time. Do any ineffectual retrograde motions occasion the cold fits of agues? The time when the gout of the liver ceases, and the gout in the foot commences, is attended with a cold fit, as I have observed in two instances, which is difficult to explain, without supposing the new vessels, or the matter produced on the inflamed liver, to be absorbed, and either eliminated by some retrograde motion, or carried to the newly inflamed part? See Cla.s.s IV. 1. 2. 15.

10. _Translatio lactis._ Translation of milk to the bowels in puerperal fevers can only be explained by the milk being absorbed by the pectoral branch of lymphatics, and carried to the bowels by the retrograde motions of the intestinal lymphatics or lacteals. See many instances of this in Sect. XXIX. 7. 4.

11. _Translatio urinae._ Translation of urine. There is a curious case related in the Transaction of the College of Physicians at Philadelphia, Vol. I. p. 96. of a girl, who labouring under an iscuria vomited her urine for many months; which could not be distinguished from that which was at other times drawn off by the catheter. After having taken much opium, she seems at length to have formed gravel, some of which was frequently brought up by vomiting. Dr. Senter ascribes this to the retrograde motions of the lymphatics of the stomach, and the increased ones of those of the bladder, and refers to those of Sect. XXIX. of this work; which section was first published in 1780; and to Macquire's Dictionary of Chemistry, Art. Urine.

The patient above described sometimes had a discharge of urine by the navel, and at other times by the r.e.c.t.u.m, and sometimes by urinous sweats.

ORDO III.

_Retrograde Irritative Motions._

GENUS III.

_Of the Sanguiferous System._

SPECIES.

1. _Capillarium motus retrogressus._ In microscopic experiments it is usual to see globules of blood regurgitate from the capillary vessels again and again, before they pa.s.s through them; and not only the mouths of the veins, which arise from these capillaries, are frequently seen by microscopes to regurgitate some particles of blood during the struggles of the animal; but a retrograde motion of the blood in the veins of these animals, from the very heart to the extremities of the limbs, is observable by intervals during the distresses of the dying creature. Haller, Elem. Phys. T. i. p.

216. See Section XXIX. 3. 8.

2. _Palpitatio cordis._ May not the ineffectual and weak unequal motions of the heart in hysteric cases be ascribed to the retrograde motions of it, which continue for a short time, or terminate in syncope? See Cla.s.s IV. 3.

1. 6.

3. _Anhelatio spasmodica._ In some asthmas may not the difficulty of respiration arise from the inverted action of the finer branches of the bronchia, or of the pulmonary artery or vein, like those of the capillaries above described in No. 1. of this genus?

_The Orders and Genera of the Second Cla.s.s of Diseases._

CLa.s.s II.

DISEASES OF SENSATION.

ORDO I.

_Increased Sensation._

GENERA.

1. With increased action of the muscles.

2. With the production of new vessels by internal membranes or glands with fever.