On Savine.

Abstract

former state of disease the hypertemia would be active, and probably more arterial, here congestive and venous, as the nature of the evacuated blood demonstrates. As in the pure cases of dysentery, the overcharged portal circulation finds relief by the direct effusion of its contents, and that taking place at a limited and specified extent of the intestinal canal, so engorgement of the liver and vessels of the upper prime vive would occur, less than where this direct uncomplicated effusion did not take place, as in the intermediate cases of Privulf, Heathfield, and MIrs. W. In these the congestion of the portal vessels seemed more general, as there was evidently a tendency to disorder of the upper primte as well as the lower bowels. The implication of the former being further shown by the earlier and deeper white coating imparted to the tongue, irrespec. tive of the symptoms. The tongue, in this pure dysentery, does not seem to become affected till later in the disease, continuing tolerably clean at the commencement, and then results from the effects of local inflammation taking place in the colon, and the subsequent disorder of the whole primae vice. This condition of the tongue in the former cases may be conjectured to .result from an arrest of the shedding and reproductioni of the epithelial liniing of its mucous membrane, an event common to it, and that of the stomach, &c. The old epithelium remains attached, none being fresh formed underneath, which would also occur amongst the numerous mucous glands of similar localities, hence checked secretion and congestive states of the capillaries of the mucous membranes are coincident. The removal of such a state of matters would be the restoration of secretion and of the current of blood to a healthy activity.