ich
constitutes the growth of the body to maturity. Thus the granulations of
new flesh to repair the injuries of wounds are visible to the eye; as well
as the callous matter, which cements broken bones; the calcareous matter,
which repairs injured snail-shells; and the threads, which are formed by
silk-worms and spiders; which are all secreted in a softer state, and
harden by exsiccation, or by the contact of the air, or by absorption of
their more fluid parts.

Whether the materials, which thus supply the waste of the system, can be
given any other way than by the stomach, so as to preserve the body for a
length of time, is worth our inquiry; as cases sometimes occur, in which
food cannot be introduced into the stomach, as in obstructions of the
oesophagus, inflammations of the throat, or in hydrophobia; and other cases
are not unfrequent in which the power of digestion is nearly or totally
destroyed, as in anorexia epileptica, and in many fevers.

In the former of these circumstances liquid nutriment may sometimes be got
into the stomach through a flexible catheter; as described in Class III. 1.
1. 15. In the latter many kinds of mild aliment, as milk or broth, have
frequently been injected as clysters, together with a small quantity of
opium, as ten drops of the tincture, three or four times a day; to which
also might be added very small quantities of vinous spirit. But these, as
far as I have observed, will not long sustain a person, who cannot take any
sustenance by the stomach.

2. Another mode of applying nutritive fluids might be by extensive
fomentations, or by immerging the whole body in a bath of broth, or of warm
milk, which might at the same time be coagulated by rennet, or the acid of
the calf's stomach; broth or whey might thus probably be introduced, in
part at least, into the circulation, as a solution of nitre is said to have
been absorbed in a pediluvium, which was afterwards discovered by the
manner in which paper dipped frequently in the urine of the patient and
dried, burnt and sparkled like touch-paper. Great quantity of water is also
known to be absorbed by those, who have bathed in the warm bath after
exercise and abstinence from liquids. Cleopatra was said to travel with
4000 milch-asses in her train, and to bathe every morning in their milk,
which she probably might use as a cosmetic rather than a nutritive.

3. The transfusion of blood from another animal into the vein of one, who
could ta