[254]. Fear, contrary to joy, decreases, for a time, the action of the extremities of the arterial system, as is seen by the sudden paleness which succeeds, and the shrinking or contraction of the vessels of the skin. M. de Haen relates the case of a painter who suffered convulsions, which were succeeded by a return of his colic. In this case the poison which had been, for a long time, admitted into his constitution in consequence of his daily employment, was, by the passion of anger, immediately brought into action. It was formerly observed by Citois, that the inhabitants of the province of Poitou, who had suffered anxiety of mind on account of any misfortune to themselves or family, were particularly susceptible of the disease.
[255]. How admirably do the results of Majendie’s experiments coincide with this reasoning; see page 84; and yet Dr. Eberle, in the work quoted below, appears unwilling to admit such a theory.
[256]. A treatise of the Materia Medica, and Therapeutics, by J. Eberle, M.D. In two volumes. Philadelphia, 1822.
[257]. In the same manner is the salivary secretion immediately influenced by the operation of the mind; the sight of a delicious repast to a hungry man is not more effectual in exciting it, than is the operation of fear and anxiety in repressing and suspending it. Whence we are led to believe, that the Hindoo Ordeal by Rice may have occasionally assisted in the ends of Justice. This ordeal was conducted in the following manner. The persons suspected of any crime being assembled in a ring, a certain portion of dried rice was given to each, which they were directed to chew for some minutes, and then to turn it out of their mouths upon the leaves or bark of a tree. Those who were capable of returning it in a pulpy form were at once acquitted, while those from whose mouths it came out dry, were pronounced guilty. See Medical Jurisprudence, Introduct. Vol. 1. p. viii.
[258]. The capacity of our digestive organs sufficiently testifies that nature never intended them for the reception of highly concentrated food, while this idea is farther strengthened by perceiving how sparingly she produces concentrated aliment; the saccharine matter of esculent fruits is generally blended with acidulous and mucilaginous ingredients; and the oleaginous principle of seeds, kernels, and other similar substances, is combined with farinaceous matter: the capacity observable in the organs of graminivorous animals evidently shews that they were also designed for a large bulk of food, and not for provender in which the nutritive matter is concentrated; the gramineous and leguminous vegetables do not present their nutritive matter in a separate state, nor is the animal furnished with an apparatus by which he can separate the chaff and straw from the grain,—the obvious inference is, that he was intended to feed indiscriminately on both.
Some years ago I constructed a Logometric scale of Equivalents, analogous in principle to that which I have now introduced under the title of the “Medicinal Dynameter,” to shew the relative nutritive strength of different vegetables, and to work problems connected with them; I soon found, however, that unless bulk was taken into calculation, it was incapable of furnishing even an approximation to truth.
[259]. Med. Repos. Nov. 1822.
[260]. A Practical Inquiry into Disordered Respiration, p. 243.
[261]. D. Young’s Medical Literature, Edit. 2. p. 570.
[262]. The vegetable kingdom presents us with many natural compounds of this kind; several of which might be pressed into the service of medicine with much advantage. With respect to the number and variety of such substances, it must be confessed that our Pharmacopœia contains but a meagre bill of fare.