Zoonomia/III.VII

TORPENTIA.

I. Those things, which diminish the exertion of the irritative motions, are termed torpentia.

1 . As mucus, mucilage, water, bland oils, and whatever possesses less stimulus than our usual food. Diminution of heat, light, sound, oxygen, and of all other stimuli; venesection, nausea, and anxiety.

2 . Those things which chemically destroy acrimony, as calcareous earth, soap, tin, alcalies, in cardialgia; or which prevent chemical acrimony, as acid of vitriol in cardialgia, which prevents the fermentation of the aliment in the stomach, and its consequent acidity. Secondly, which destroy worms, as calomel, iron filings or rust of iron, in the round worms; or amalgama of quicksilver and tin, or tin in very large doses, in the tape-worms. Will ether in clysters destroy ascarides? Thirdly, by chemically destroying extraneous bodies, as caustic alcali, lime, mild alcali in the stone. Fourthly, those things which lubricate the vessels, along which extraneous bodies slide, as oil in the stone in the urethra, and to expedite the expectoration of hardened mucus; or which lessen the friction of the contents in the intestinal canal in dysentery or aphtha, as calcined hartshorn, clay, Armenian bole, chalk, bone-ashes. Fifthly, such things as soften or extend the cuticle over tumors, or phlegmons, as warm water, poultices, fomentations, or by confining the perspirable matter on the part by cabbage-leaves, oil, fat, bee's-wax, plasters, oiled silk, externally applied.

These decrease the natural heat and remove pains occasioned by excess of irritative motions.

II.

I. As the torpentia consist of such materials as are less stimulating than our usual diet, it is evident, that where this class of medicines is used, some regard must be had to the usual manner of living of the patient both in respect to quantity and quality. Hence wounds in those, who have been accustomed to the use of much wine, are very liable to mortify, unless the usual potation of wine be allowed the patient. And in these habits I have seen a delirium in a fever cured almost immediately by wine; which was occasioned by the too mild regimen directed by the attendants. On the contrary in great inflammation, the subduction of food, and of spirituous drink, contributes much to the cure of the disease. As by these means both the stimulus from distention of the vessels, as well as that from the acrimony of the fluids, is decreased; but in both these respects the previous habits of diet of the patients must be attended to. Thus if tea be made stronger, than the patient has usually drank it, it belongs to the article sorbentia; if weaker, it belongs to the torpentia.

II. Water in a quantity greater than usual diminishes the action of the system not only by diluting our fluids, and thence lessening their stimulus, but by lubricating the solids; for not only the parts of our solids have their sliding over each other facilitated by the interposition of aqueous particles; but the particles of mucaginous or saccharine solutions slide easier over each other by being mixed with a greater portion of water, and thence stimulate the vessels less.

At the same time it must be observed, that the particles of water themselves, and of animal gluten dissolved in water, as the glue used by carpenters, slide easier over each other by an additional quantity of the fluid matter of heat.

These two fluids of heat and of water may be esteemed the universal solvents or lubricants in respect to animal bodies, and thus facilitate the circulation, and the secretion of the various glands. At the same time it is possible, that these two fluids may occasionally assume an aerial form, as in the cavity of the chest, and by compressing the lungs may cause one kind of asthma, which is relieved by breathing colder air. An increased quantity of heat by adding stimulus to every part of the system belongs to the article Incitantia.

III. 1 . The application of cold to the skin, which is only another expression for the diminution of the degree of heat we are accustomed to, benumbs the cutaneous absorbents into inaction; and by sympathy the urinary and intestinal absorbents become also quiescent. The secerning vessels continuing their action somewhat longer, from the warmth of the blood. Hence the usual secretions are poured into the bladder and intestines, and no absorption is retaken from them. Hence sprinkling the skin with cold water increases the quantity of urine, which is pale; and of stool, which is fluid; these have erroneously been ascribed to increased secretion, or to obstructed perspiration.

The thin discharge from the nostrils of some people in cold weather is owing to the torpid state of the absorbent vessels of the membrana sneideriana, which as above are benumbed sooner than those, which perform the secretion of the mucus.

The quick anhelation, and palpitation of the heart, of those, who are immersed in cold water, depends on the quiescence of the external absorbent vessels and capillaries. Hence the cutaneous circulation is diminished, and by association an almost universal torpor of the system is induced; thence the heart becomes incapable to push forwards its blood through all the inactive capillaries and glands; and as the terminating vessels of the pulmonary artery suffer a similar inaction by association, the blood is with difficulty pushed through the lungs.

Some have imagined, that a spasmodic constriction of the smaller vessels took place, and have thus accounted for their resistance to the force of the heart. But there seems no necessity to introduce this imaginary spasm; since those, who are conversant in injecting bodies, find it necessary first to put them into warm water to take away the stiffness of the cold dead vessels; which become inflexible like the other muscles of dead animals, and prevent the injected fluid from passing.

All the same symptoms occur in the cold fits of intermittents; in these the coldness and paleness of the skin with thirst evince the diminution of cutaneous absorption; and the dryness of ulcers, and small secretion of urine, evince the torpor of the secerning system; and the anhelation, and coldness of the breath, shew the terminations of the pulmonary artery to be likewise affected with torpor.

After these vessels of the whole surface of the body both absorbent and secretory have been for a time torpid by the application of cold water; and all the internal secerning and absorbent ones have been made torpid from their association with the external; as soon as their usual stimulus of warmth is renewed, they are thrown into more than their usual energy of action; as the hands become hot and painful on approaching the fire after having been immersed some time in snow. Hence the face becomes of a red colour in a cold day on turning from the wind, and the insensible perspiration increased by repeatedly going into frosty air, but not continuing in it too long at a time.

2 . When by the too great warmth of a room or of clothes, the secretion of perspirable matter is much increased, the strength of the patient is much exhausted by this unnecessary exertion of the capillary system, and thence of the whole secerning and arterial system by association. The diminution of external heat immediately induces a torpor or quiescence of these unnecessary exertions, and the patient instantly feels himself strengthened, and exhilarated; the animal power, which was thus wasted in vain, being now applied to more useful purposes. Thus when the limbs on one side are disabled by a stroke of the palsy, those of the other side are perpetually in motion. And hence all people bear riding and other exercises best in cold weather.

Patients in fevers, where the skin is hot, are immediately strengthened by cold air; which is therefore of great use in fevers attended with debility and heat; but may perhaps be of temporary disservice, if too hastily applied in some situations of fevers attended with internal topical inflammation, as in peripneumony or pleurisy, where the arterial strength is too great already, and the increased action of the external capillaries being destroyed by the cold, the action of the internal inflamed part may be suddenly increased, unless venesection and other evacuations are applied at the same time. Yet in most cases the application of cold is nevertheless salutary, as by decreasing the heat of the particles of blood in the cutaneous vessels, the stimulus of them, and the distention of the vessels becomes considerably lessened. In external inflammations, as the small-pox, and perhaps the gout and rheumatism, the application of cold air must be of great service by decreasing the action of the inflamed skin, though the contrary is too frequently the practice in those diseases. It must be observed, that for all these purposes the application of it should be continued a long time, otherwise an increased exertion follows the temporary torpor, before the disease is destroyed.

3 . After immersion in cold water or in cold air the whole system becomes more exciteable by the natural degree of stimulus, as appears from the subsequent glow on the skin of people otherwise pale; and even by a degree of stimulus less than natural, as appears by their becoming warm in a short time during their continuance in a bath, of about 80 degrees of heat, as in Buxton bath. See Sect XII. 2. 1. XXXII. 3. 3.

This increased exertion happens to the absorbent vessels more particularly, as they are first and most affected by these temporary diminutions of heat; and hence like the medicines, which promote absorption, the cold-bath contributes to strengthen the constitution, that is to increase its irritability; for the diseases attended with weakness, as nervous fevers and hysteric diseases, are shewn in Section XXXII. 2. 1. to proceed from a want of irritability, not from an excess of it. Hence the digestion is greater in frosty weather, and the quantity of perspiration. For these purposes the application of cold must not be continued too long. For in riding a journey in cold weather, when the feet are long kept too cold, the digestion is impaired, and cardialgia produced.

4 . If the diminution of external heat be too great, produced too hastily, or continued too long, the torpor of the system either becomes so great, that the animal ceases to live; or so great an energy of motion or orgasm of the vessels succeeds, as to produce fever or inflammation. This most frequently happens after the body has been temporarily heated by exercise, warm rooms, anger, or intemperance. Hence colds are produced in the external air by resting after exercise, or by drinking cold water. See Class I. 2. 2. 1.

Frequent cold immersions harden or invigorate the constitution, which they effect by habituating the body to bear a diminution of heat on its surface without being thrown into such extensive torpor or quiescence by the consent of the vessels of the skin with the pulmonary and glandular system; as those experience, who frequently use the cold-bath. At first they have great anhelation and palpitation of heart at their ingress into cold water; but by the habit of a few weeks they are able to bear this diminution of heat with little or no inconvenience; for the power of volition has some influence over the muscles subservient to respiration, and by its counter efforts gradually prevents the quick breathing, and diminishes the associations of the pulmonary vessels with the cutaneous ones. And thus though the same quantity of heat is subducted from the skin, yet the torpor of the pulmonary vessels and internal glands does not follow. Hence during cold immersion less sensorial power is accumulated, and in consequence, less exertion of it succeeds on emerging from the bath. Whence such people are esteemed hardy, and bear the common variations of atmospheric temperature without inconvenience. See Sect. XXXII. 3. 2.

IV. Venesection has a just title to be classed amongst the torpentia in cases of fever with arterial strength, known by the fulness and hardness of the pulse. In these cases the heat becomes less by its use, and all exuberant secretions, as of bile or sweat, are diminished, and room is made in the blood-vessels for the absorption of mild fluids; and hence the absorption also of new vessels, or extravasated fluids, the produce of inflammation, is promoted. Hence venesection is properly classed amongst the sorbentia, as like other evacuations it promotes general absorption, restrains hæmorrhages, and cures those pains, which originate from the too great action of the secerning vessels, or from the torpor of the absorbents. I have more than once been witness to the sudden removal of nervous head-achs by venesection, though the patient was already exhausted, pale, and feeble; and to its great use in convulsions and madness, whether the patient was strong or weak; which diseases are the consequence of nervous pains; and to its stopping long debilitating hæmorrhages from the uterus, when other means had been in vain essayed. In inflammatory pains, and inflammatory hæmorrhages, every one justly applies to it, as the certain and only cure.

V. When the circulation is carried on too violently, as in inflammatory fevers, those medicines, which invert the motions of some parts of the system, retard the motions of some other parts, which are associated with them. Hence small doses of emetic tartar, and ipecacuanha, and large doses of nitre, by producing nausea debilitate and lessen the energy of the circulation, and are thence useful in inflammatory diseases. It must be added, that if nitre be swallowed in powder, or soon after it is dissolved, it contributes to lessen the circulation by the cold it generates, like ice-water, or the external application of cold air.

VI. The respiration of air mixed with a greater proportion of azote than is found in the common atmosphere, or of air mixed with hydrogen, or with carbonic acid gas, so that the quantity of oxygen might be less than usual, would probably act in cases of inflammation with great advantage. In consumptions this might be most conveniently and effectually applied, if a phthisical patient could reside day and night in a porter or ale brewery, where great quantities of those liquors were perpetually fermenting in vats or open barrels; or in some great manufactory of wines from raisins or from sugar.

Externally the application of carbonic acid gas to cancers and other ulcers instead of atmospheric air may prevent their enlargement, by preventing the union of oxygen with matter, and thus producing a new contagious animal acid.

III.

1 . Venesection. Arteriotomy.

2 . Cold water, cold air, respiration of air with less oxygen.

3 . Vegetable mucilages.


 * a. Seeds.—Barley, oats, rice, young peas, flax, cucumber, melon, &c.


 * b. Gums.—Arabic, Tragacanth, Senegal, of cherry-trees.


 * c. Roots.—Turnip, potatoe, althea, orchis, snow-drop.


 * d. Herbs.—Spinach, brocoli, mercury.

4 . Vegetable acids, lemon, orange, currants, gooseberries, apples, grape, &c. &c.

5 . Animal mucus, hartshorn jelly, veal broth, chicken water, oil? fat? cream?

6 . Mineral acids, of vitriol, nitre, sea-salt.

7 . Silence, darkness.

8 . Invertentia in small doses, nitre, emetic tartar, ipecacuanha given so as to induce nausea.

9 . Antacids.—Soap, tin, alcalies, earths.

10 . Medicines preventative of fermentation, acid of vitriol.

11 . Anthelmintics.—Indian pink, tin, iron, cowhage, amalgama, smoak of tobacco.

12 . Lithonthriptics, lixiv. saponarium, aqua calcis, fixable air.

13 . Externally, warm bath, and poultices, oil, fat, wax, plasters, oiled silk, carbonic acid gas on cancers, and other ulcers.