Zoonomia; Or, the Laws of Organic Life, Vol. I

by Erasmus Darwin

Before we endeavour to illustrate this doctrine, by describing the phænomena of these diseases, we must premise one circumstance; that all the branches of the lymphatic system have a certain sympathy with each other, insomuch that when one branch is stimulated into unusual kinds or quantities of motion, some other branch has its motions either increased, or decreased, or inverted at the same time. This kind of sympathy can only be proved by the concurrent testimony of numerous facts, which will be related in the course of the work. I shall only add here, that it is probable, that this sympathy does not depend on any communication of nervous filaments, but on habit; owing to the various branches of this system having frequently been stimulated into action at the same time.

There are a thousand instances of involuntary motions associated in this manner; as in the act of vomiting, while the motions of the stomach and œsophagus are inverted, the pulsations of the arterial system by a certain sympathy become weaker; and when the bowels or kidneys are stimulated by poison, a stone, or inflammation, into more violent action; the stomach and œsophagus by sympathy invert their motions.

[1]. When any one drinks a moderate quantity of vinous spirit, the whole system acts with more energy by consent with the stomach and intestines, as is seen from the glow on the skin, and the increase of strength and activity; but when a greater quantity of this inebriating material is drank, at the same time that the lacteals are excited into greater action to absorb it; it frequently happens, that the urinary branch of absorbents, which is connected with the lacteals by many anastomoses, inverts its motions, and a great quantity of pale unanimalized urine is discharged. By this wise contrivance too much of an unnecessary fluid is prevented from entering the circulation—This may be called the drunken diabetes, to distinguish it from the other temporary diabetes, which occur in hysteric diseases, and from continued fear or anxiety.

[2]. If this idle ingurgitation of too much vinous spirit be daily practised, the urinary branch of absorbents at length gains an habit of inverting its motions, whenever the lacteals are much stimulated; and the whole or a great part of the chyle is thus daily carried to the bladder without entering the circulation, and the body becomes emaciated. This is one kind of chronic diabetes, and may be distinguished from the others by the taste and appearance of the urine; which is sweet, and the colour of whey, and may be termed the chyliferous diabetes.

[3]. Many children have a similar deposition of chyle in their urine, from the irritation of worms in their intestines, which stimulating the mouths of the lacteals into unnatural action, the urinary branch of the absorbents becomes inverted, and carries part of the chyle to the bladder: part of the chyle also has been carried to the iliac and lumbar glands, of which instances are recorded by Haller, t. vii. 225. and which can be explained on no other theory: but the dissections of the lymphatic system of the human body, which have yet been published, are not sufficiently extensive for our purpose; yet if we may reason from comparative anatomy, this translation of chyle to the bladder is much illustrated by the account given of this system of vessels in a turtle, by Mr. Hewson, who observed, "That the lacteals near the root of the mesentery anastomose, so as to form a net-work, from which several large branches go into some considerable lymphatics lying near the spine; and which can be traced almost to the anus, and particularly to the kidneys." Philos. Trans. v. 59. p. 199—Enquiries, p. 74.

[4]. At the same time that the urinary branch of absorbents, in the beginning of diabetes, is excited into inverted action, the cellular branch is excited by the sympathy above mentioned, into more energetic action; and the fat, that was before deposited, is reabsorbed and thrown into the blood vessels; where it floats, and was mistaken for chyle, till the late experiments of the ingenious Mr. Hewson demonstrated it to be fat.

This appearance of what was mistaken for chyle in the blood, which was drawn from these patients, and the obstructed liver, which very frequently accompanies this disease, seems to have led Dr. Mead to suspect the diabetes was owing to a defect of sanguification; and that the schirrosity of the liver was the original cause of it: but as the schirrhus of the liver is most frequently owing to the same causes, that produce the diabetes and dropsies; namely, the great use of fermented liquors; there is no wonder they should exist together, without being the consequence of each other.

[5]. If the cutaneous branch of absorbents gains a habit of being excited into stronger action, and imbibes greater quantities of moisture from the atmosphere, at the same time that the urinary branch has its motions inverted, another kind of diabetes is formed, which may be termed the aqueous diabetes. In this diabetes the cutaneous absorbents frequently imbibe an amazing quantity of atmospheric moisture; insomuch that there are authentic histories, where many gallons a day, for many weeks together, above the quantity that has been drank, have been discharged by urine.

Dr. Keil, in his Medicina Statica, found that he gained eighteen ounces from the moist air of one night; and Dr. Percival affirms, that one of his hands imbibed, after being well chafed, near an ounce and half of water, in a quarter of an hour. (Transact. of the College, London, vol. ii. p. 102.) Home's Medic. Facts, p. 2. sect. 3.

The pale urine in hysterical women, or which is produced by fear or anxiety, is a temporary complaint of this kind; and it would in reality be the same disease, if it was confirmed by habit.