a
repetition of the contagion. Thus the contagious matter of the venereal
disease, and of the tenia, affects the lymphatic glands, as the inquinal
glands, and those about the roots of the hair and neck, where it is
arrested, but does not seem to affect the blood-vessels, since no fever
ensues.

Hence it would appear, that these kinds of contagion are propagated not by
means of the circulation, but by sympathy of distant parts with each other;
since if a distant part, as the palate, should be excited by sensitive
association into the same kind of motions, as the parts originally affected
by the contact of infectious matter; that distant part will produce the
same kind of infectious matter; for every secretion from the blood is
formed from it by the peculiar motions of the fine extremities of the
gland, which secretes it; the various secreted fluids, as the bile, saliva,
gastric juice, not previously existing, as such, in the blood-vessels.

And this peculiar sympathy between the genitals and the throat, owing to
sensitive association, appears not only in the production of venereal
ulcers in the throat, but in variety of other instances, as in the mumps,
in the hydrophobia, some coughs, strangulation, the production of the
beard, change of voice at puberty. Which are further described in Class IV.
1. 2. 7.

To evince that the production of such large quantities of contagious
matter, as are seen in some variolous patients, so as to cover the whole
skin almost with pustules, does not arise from any chemical fermentation in
the blood, but that it is owing to morbid motions of the fine extremities
of the capillaries, or glands, whether these be ruptured or not, appears
from the quantity of this matter always corresponding with the quantity of
the fever; that is, with the violent exertions of those glands and
capillaries, which are the terminations of the arterial system.

The truth of this theory is evinced further by a circumstance observed by
Mr. J. Hunter, in his Treatise on Venereal Disease; that in a patient, who
was inoculated for the small-pox, and who appeared afterwards to have been
previously infested with the measles, the progress of the small-pox was
delayed till the measles had run their course, and that then the small-pox
went through its usual periods.

Two similar cases fell under my care, which I shall here relate, as it
confirms that of Mr. Hunter, and contributes to illustrate this part of the
theory o