ent of the body during our infancy; so a painful sensation
is the cause of the unnatural production of new vessels, and enlargement of
old ones in inflammatory diseases.

When matter is thus formed in any internal viscus, or in the cellular
membrane, as in the lungs or liver; so long as this abscess remains without
admission of air, this inflammatory fever is liable to continue, receiving
only temporary relief by bleeding or emetics, or cathartics; till the
patient, after a month, or two, or three, expires. But, if air be admitted
to these internal abscesses, this kind of fever is changed into a hectic
fever in a single day. It also sometimes happens, that when the abscess
remains unopened to the air, if the matter has become putrid, that hectic
fever supervenes, with colliquative sweats, or diarrhoea; the matter in
both cases is sometimes absorbed, and the sides of the abscess grow
together again without an external aperture. See Class II. 1. 4. 1. and 2.
Another termination of inflammation is in gangrene, but this belongs to the
inflammation of the external skin; as the production of purulent matter
belongs to inflammation of the internal or mucous membranes. Thus when the
external skin is the seat of inflammation, as in erythema, or erysipelas,
and produces sensitive irritated fever, no collection of purulent matter
can be formed; but a material oozes out, and lies upon the surface, like
that in the confluent small-pox, and the cuticle at length peels off, or
gangrene supervenes. It must be noted, that these kinds of inflammation can
exist together; and some parts of the cellular membrane may suppurate at
the same time that the external skin is affected with erythema, or
erysipelas.

M. M. Venesection. Cathartics. Diluents. Cool air. Torpentia. Cold Bath?
See Sect. XII. 6.

The increased arterial action in this sensitive irritated fever is not
simply owing to the increased irritability of the arterial system, or to
the stimulus of the distention of the vessels, but also to the increased
acrimony or pungency of the blood; which has now so far changed its nature
as to become more fluid, more dense, and to be loaded with coagulable
lymph. Hence it becomes necessary not only to lessen the quantity of blood
by venesection and by cathartics, but also to dilute its acrimony, or
pungency, by the introduction of aqueous and mucilaginous fluids, such as
barley water, cream and water, sugar and water, weak broths; to which may