it but once; yet a
few hours afterwards in the cool of the evening, when I returned home
rather fatigued and hungry, a shivering and cold fit occurred, which was
followed by a hot one; and the whole disease began and terminated in about
twelve hours without return. In this case the power of fear, or of
imagination, was not concerned; as I neither thought of the bad air of a
morass before I perceived it; nor expected a fever-fit, till it occurred.

In this case the torpor commenced in the lungs, and after a few hours, by
the addition of fatigue, and cold, and hunger, was propagated by direct
sympathy to the rest of the system. An orgasm or increased action of the
whole system was then induced by the accumulation of sensorial power of
irritation in the lungs, and of association in the other organs; and when
these subsided, the disease ceased. It may be asked, could a torpor of the
capillaries of the air-vessels of the lungs be so suddenly produced by
great stimulation?--It appears probable, that it might, because great
exertion of irritative motions may be instantly produced without our
perceiving them; that is, without their being attended by sensation, both
in the lungs and stomach; and the organs may become torpid by the great
expenditure of the sensorial power of irritation in an instant of time; as
paralysis frequently instantly follows too great an exertion of voluntary
power.

3. When the capillaries of the lungs act too violently, as in some
continued fevers; which is known by the heat of the breath, and by the
dryness of the tongue, especially of the middle part of it; not only cooler
air might be admitted more freely into a sick room to counteract this
orgasm of the pulmonary capillaries; but perhaps the patient might breathe
with advantage a mixture of carbonic acid gas, or of hydrogene gas, or of
azote with atmospheric air. And on the contrary, when there exists an
evident torpor of the pulmonary capillaries, which may be known by the
correspondent chilness of the skin; and by a tickling cough, which
sometimes attends cold paroxysms of fever, and is then owing to the
deficient absorption of the pulmonary mucus, the saline parts of which
stimulate the bronchiae, or air-vessels; a mixture of one part of oxygen
gas with 10 or 20 parts of atmospheric air might probably be breathed with
great advantage.

X. _Torpor of the Brain._

As the inactivity or torpor of the absorbent vessels of the brain is the
cause of