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This accumulating fluid, or perspirable matter, is at first colourless; but being exposed to violent heat, or dried, becomes brown. Hence, the mucosum corpus being tinged in various parts by this brown coagulated fluid, and the parts so tinged appearing through the cuticle, or upper surface of the skin, arises that spotted appearance, observable in the case recited.
Add to this, that the sweats above mentioned were clammy or glutinous, which the condensed perspirable matter is not; whence it would seem to have been a different fluid from that of common perspiration. Dr.
At the very instant that the body is exposed naked to the cold air, an unusual movement is felt in the bowels; as is experienced by boys going into the cold bath: this could not occur from an obstruction of the perspirable matter, since there is not time, for that to be returned to the bowels by the course of the circulation.
This disease has never ben communicated to an individual from one infected by means of the perspirable matter; this, therefore, is a proof that the contagious part of the disease is not of a volatile nature. It does not only exist in the saliva and the mucus of the mouth, but likewise in the blood and the parenchyma of the salivary glands; but not in the pulpy substance of the nerves.
Patients have been kept as clean by these means on a long voyage, when a basin full of water could not be afforded, and when they could not be moved out of their berths, as if all the appurtenances of home had been at hand. Washing, however, with a large quantity of water has quite other effects than those of mere cleanliness. The skin absorbs the water and becomes softer and more perspirable.
From the quiescence of the anastomosing capillaries a paleness of the skin succeeds, and a less secretion of the perspirable matter; from the quiescence of the pulmonary capillaries a difficulty of respiration arises; and from the quiescence of the other glands less bile, less gastric and pancreatic juice, are secreted into the stomach and intestines, and less mucus and saliva are poured into the mouth; whence arises the dry tongue, costiveness, dry ulcers, and paucity of urine.
But soon after emerging from the bath, a more florid colour and a greater degree of heat is generated on the skin than was possessed before immersion; for the capillary glands, after this quiescent state, occasioned by the want of stimulus, become more irritable than usual to their natural stimuli, owing to the accumulation of sensorial power, and hence a greater quantity of blood is transmitted through them, and a greater secretion of perspirable matter; and, in consequence, a greater degree of heat succeeds.
The sensorial power, or spirit of animation, used in giving perpetual and strong motion to the heart, which overcomes the elasticity and vis inertiæ of the whole arterial system; next the expense of sensorial power in moving with great force and velocity the innumerable trunks and ramifications of the arterial system; the expense of sensorial power in circulating the whole mass of blood through the long and intricate intortions of the very fine vessels, which compose the glands and capillaries; then the expense of sensorial power in the exertions of the absorbent extremities of all the lacteals, and of all the lymphatics, which open their mouths on the external surface of the skin, and on the internal surfaces of every cell or interstice of the body; then the expense of sensorial power in the venous absorption, by which the blood is received from the capillary vessels, or glands, where the arterial power ceases, and is drank up, and returned to the heart; next the expense of sensorial power used by the muscles of respiration in their office of perpetually expanding the bronchia, or air-vessels, of the lungs; and lastly in the unceasing peristaltic motions of the stomach and whole system of intestines, and in all the secretions of bile, gastric juice, mucus, perspirable matter, and the various excretions from the system.
As the capillary vessels receive blood from the arteries, and separating the mucus, or perspirable matter from it, convey the remainder back by the veins; these capillary vessels are a set of glands, in every respect similar to the secretory vessels of the liver, or other large congeries of glands.
Those, whose mouths are dispersed on the external skin, imbibe a great quantity of water from the atmosphere, and a part of the perspirable matter, which does not evaporate, and are termed cutaneous absorbents. Those, which arise from the internal surface of the bronchia, and which imbibe moisture from the atmosphere, and a part of the bronchial mucus, are called pulmonary absorbents.
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