ining the size of the drop. Thirty drops of this tincture is
directed to be put into an ounce of mint-water for a draught to be taken
twice or thrice a day, till it reduces the anasarca of the limbs, or
removes the difficulty of breathing in hydrothorax, or till it induces
sickness. And if these do not occur in two or three days, the dose must be
gradually increased to forty or sixty drops, or further.

From the great stimulus of this medicine the stomach is rendered torpid
with consequent sickness, which continues many hours and even days, owing
to the great exhaustion of its sensorial power of irritation; and the
action of the heart and arteries becomes feeble from the deficient
excitement of the sensorial power of association; and lastly, the
absorbents of the cellular membrane act more violently in consequence of
the accumulation of the sensorial power of association in the torpid heart
and arteries, as explained in Suppl. I. 12.

A circumstance curiously similar to this occurs to some people on smoking
tobacco for a short time, who have not been accustomed to it. A degree of
sickness is presently induced, and the pulsations of the heart and arteries
become feeble for a short time, as in the approach to fainting, owing to
the direct sympathy between these and the stomach, that is from defect of
the excitement of the power of association. Then there succeeds a tingling,
and heat, and sometimes sweat, owing to the increased action of the
capillaries, or perspirative and mucous glands; which is occasioned by the
accumulation of the sensorial power of association by the weaker action of
the heart and arteries, which now increases the action of the capillaries.

8. Another method of increasing absorption from the cellular membrane is by
warm air, or by warm steam. If the swelled legs of a dropsical patient are
inclosed in a box, the air of which is made warm by a lamp or two, copious
sweats are soon produced by the increased action of the capillary glands,
which are seen to stand on the skin, as it cannot readily exhale in so
small a quantity of air, which is only changed so fast as may be necessary
to permit the lamps to burn. At the same time the lymphatics of the
cellular membrane are stimulated by the heat into greater action, as
appears by the speedy reduction of the tumid legs.

It would be well worth trying an experiment upon a person labouring under a
general anasarca by putting him into a room filled with air h