Those animals, which are furnished with clavicles, or collar-bones, not only use their foremost feet as hands, as men, monkies, cats, mice, squirrels, &c. but elevate their ribs in respiration as well as depress the diaphragm for the purpose of enlarging the cavity of the chest. Hence an inflammation of the diaphragm is sudden death to those animals, as horses and dogs, which can only breaths by depressing the diaphragm; and is I suppose the cause of the sudden death of horses that are over-worked; whereas, in the human animal, when the diaphragm is inflamed, so as to render its motions impossible from the pain they occasion, respiration can be carried on, though in a less perfect manner, by the intercostal muscles in the elevation of the ribs. In pleurisy the ribs are kept motionless, and the respiration is performed by the diaphragm, as may be readily seen on inspecting the naked chest, and which is generally a bad symptom; in the diaphragmitis the ribs are alternately elevated, and depressed, but the lower part of the belly is not seen to move.
M. M. As in pleurisy and peripneumony. When the patient becomes delirious, and smiles disagreeably by intervals, and is become so weak, that evacuations by the lancet could be used no further, and I have almost despaired of my patient, I have found in two or three instances, that about five or six drops of tinct. thebaic, given an hour before the evening exacerbation, has had the happiest effect, and cured the patient in this case, as well as in common peripneumony; it must be repeated two or three evenings, see Class [II. 1. 2. 4]. as the exacerbation of the fever and difficult respiration and delirium generally increase towards night.
The stimulus of this small quantity of opium on a patient previously so much debilitated, acts by increasing the exertion of the absorbent vessels, in the same manner as a solution of opium, or any other stimulant, put on an inflamed eye after the vessels are previously emptied by evacuations, stimulates the absorbent system, so as to cause the remaining new vessels to be immediately reabsorbed. Which same stimulants would have increased the inflammation, if they had been applied before the evacuations. See Class [II. 1. 2. 2]. Sect. XXXIII. 3. 1. When the sanguiferous system is full of blood, the absorbents cannot act so powerfully, as the progress of their contents is opposed by the previous fulness of the blood-vessels; whence stimulants in that case increase the action of the secerning system more than of the absorbent one; but after copious evacuation this resistance to the progress of the absorbed fluids is removed; and when stimulants are then applied, they increase the action of the absorbent system more than that of the secerning one. Hence opium given in the commencement of inflammatory diseases destroys the patient; and cures them, if given in very small doses at the end of inflammatory diseases.
[7]. Carditis. Inflammation of the heart is attended with unequal intermitting pulse, palpitation, pain in the middle of the sternum, and constant vomiting. It cannot certainly be distinguished from peripneumony, and is perhaps always combined with it.
[8]. Peritonitis. Inflammation of the peritonæum is known by pain all over the abdomen, which is increased on erecting the body. It has probably most frequently a rheumatic origin. See Class [II. 1. 2. 17].
[9]. Mesenteritis. Inflammation of the mesentery is attended with pains like colic, and with curdled or chyle-like stools. It is a very frequent and dangerous disease, as the production of matter more readily takes place in it than in any other viscus. The consequence of which, after a hard labour, is probably the puerperal fever, and in scrophulous habits a fatal purulent fever, or hopeless consumption.
M. M. Venesection. Warm bath. Emollient clysters.
[10]. Gastritis. In inflammation of the stomach the pulse is generally soft, probably occasioned by the sickness which attends it. The pain and heat of the stomach is increased by whatever is swallowed, with immediate rejection of it. Hiccough.
This disease may be occasioned by acrid or indigestible matters taken into the stomach, which may chemically or mechanically injure its interior coat. There is however a slighter species of inflammation of this viscus, and perhaps of all others, which is unattended by much fever; and which is sometimes induced by drinking cold water, or eating cold insipid food, as raw turnips, when the person has been much heated and fatigued by exercise. For when the sensorial power has been diminished by great exertion, and the stomach has become less irritable by having been previously stimulated by much heat, it sooner becomes quiescent by the application of cold. In consequence of this slight inflammation of the stomach an eruption of the face frequently ensues by the sensitive association of this viscus with the skin, which is called a surfeit. See Class [IV. 1. 2. 13]. and [II. 1. 4. 6]. and [II. 1. 3. 19].
M. M. Venesection. Warm bath. Blister. Anodyne clysters. Almond soap. See Class [II. 1. 3. 17].