ith the capillaries, the actions of which, with those
of the arteries and veins, constitute one great circle of associate
motions. Now when the capillaries of the skin become torpid, coldness and
paleness succeed; and with these are associated the capillaries of the
lungs, whence difficult respiration; and with these the weak and retrograde
actions of the heart. At the same time the absorbents of the skin, and of
the bladder, and of the intestines, sometimes become retrograde, and
regurgitate their contents; as appears by the pale urine in large
quantities, which attends hysteric complaints along with this palpitation
of the heart; and from the cold sweats, and diarrhoea; all which, as well
as the hysteric complaints, are liable to be induced or attended by fear.

When fear has still more violently affected the system, there have been
instances where syncope, and sudden death, or a total stoppage of the
circulation, have succeeded: in these last cases, the pain of fear has
employed or exhausted the whole of the sensorial power, so that not only
those muscular fibres generally exerted by volition cease to act, whence
the patient falls down; and those, which constitute the organs of sense,
whence syncope; but lastly those, which perform the vital motions, become
deprived of sensorial power, and death ensues. See Class. I. 2. 1. 4. and
I. 2. 1. 10. Similar to this in some epileptic fits the patient first
suddenly falls down, without even endeavouring to save himself by his hands
before the convulsive motions come on. In this case the great exertion of
some small part in consequence of great irritation or sensation exhausts
the whole sensorial power, which was lodged in the extremities of the
locomotive nerves, for a short time, as in syncope; and as soon as these
muscles are again supplied, convulsions supervene to relieve the painful
sensation. See Class III. 1. 1. 7.

7. _Abortio a timore._ Women miscarry much more frequently from a fright,
than from bodily injury. A torpor or retrograde motion of the capillary
arteries of the internal uterus is probably the immediate cause of these
miscarriages, owing to the association of the actions of those vessels with
the capillaries of the skin, which are rendered torpid or retrograde by
fear. By this contraction of the uterine arteries, the fine vessels of the
placenta, which are inserted into them, are detruded, or otherwise so
affected, that the placenta separates at this time f