Conspectus Medicinae Theoreticae; A View of the Theory of Medicine in Two Parts Part I. Containing Physiology and Pathology. Part II. Containing Therapeutics (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833. Excerpt: ... laxing and unbracing the body, weaken the nervous system, diminish its diseased vigour, and procure sleep, after long watching. But wc must afterwards treat more fully of these, and such like effects of emollient remedies, under another head. CHAP. XXVIII. Of corroborating remedies. 1090. Next to those remedies which affect the solids of the human body universally, are classed those which affect the living solids, viz. the brain, nerves, and muscles, giving stimulus and intensity to their powers when defective, and diminishing and repressing them when in excess. 1091. However obscure and incomprehensible the powers and actions of these parts may be, (117. etseqq.) their disorders, neither few. nor slight, are at any rate sufficiently evident, (370. et seqq.) though not yet well understood. Strong and effectual remedies are the more necessary for these disorders, because they are not only very frequent themselves, but are also the source, or form a constituent part, of almost' innumerable diseases, some of them extremely severe, since in every one of the functions of the human body, the nerves and muscles hold the most distinguished place. When these, then, are injured, or by any means reduced to an unhealthy state, it is plain, that, in proportion as "the disorder is more or less general, the functions "of the system, in whole or in part, must of necessity be obstructed. 1092.' But from the disorders of the nervous system, of which, the nature, causes, noxious consequences, and remedies, are in some measure understood, four subjects arise of primary consideration, very evident, and very frequent: that is, defect of vigour, or.'debility; excess of the same, or excessive vigour; defect of irritability and sensibility, or torpor and stupor; and, in a word, e...