Appendix.

897

stimulant; it augments the action of the heart and arteries, renders the skin red,quickens respiration, and produces a copious Sow of sweat; but the others,although they excite the sensation of heat, yet lessen the frequency of the pulse,relax powerfully the skin and simple solids, and diminish generally increasedexcitement. It has been a question of some interest, whether water be evertaken into the body by the cutaneous absorbents ? That it is taken in has beendenied by many philosophers, and facts brought forward to support the opinion.Dr. Currie and Dr. Pearson, after half an hour's immersion in the Buxton bath,at 82°, found that the weight of the body was rather diminished than increased -and in a case of disphagia, in which neither food nor drink was taken by themouth for a considerable time, the patient, when put into the tepid bath, felt histhirst alleviated, and received much comfort, without his weight being at allincreased. Dr. Currie supposed, that the abatement of thirst in this case arosefrom the relaxation of the exhalants of the surface produced by the bath, andthose of the stomach sympathizing; and that although the exhalants terminate byopen mouths, which pierce the epidermis, yet as the mouths of the absorbentstenninate under it, and do not come into contact with the open air; so while theepidermis remains unirritated and entire, no absorption of fluid can therefore takeplace from the surface. Many experiments made by Seguin are also in favour ofthe opinion that no cutaneous absorption is effected in the bath. Among others,he immersed venereal patients in baths containing oxymuriate of mercury insolution, and found that while the cuticle remained entire, no salivation, nor othereffect of the mercury on the system, was apparent; but the specific effect of theremedy always took place when the epidermis was injured or destroyed, as in itch.It must, however, be observed, that in the case of disphagia the urine flowed asif drink had been taken by the mouth; a circumstance which Currie supposes todepend on the absorption from the atmosphere by the lungs. This, however, isan assumed position ; the free exhalation from the lungs is evident, but it is by nomeans proved that any absorption takes places. It is true that the weight of thebody in the above case was diminished ; but from the sum of this loss we mustabstract the cutaneous exhalation of the part of the body not immersed, the pul-monary exhalation, and the weight of the cgesta; and were a supposition to beadmitted as argument, it might be suggested that the relaxant power of the warmwater acting on the epidermis as on inert matter, may open a way through it tothe mouths of the absorbents. The question is still undecided, and, fortunately, itis not of much importance in a practical point of view.

Warm and vapour baths' arc efficaciously employed in acute rheumatism, in-flammation of the abdominal viscera, of the kidneys, bladder, and uterus; insuppression of urine, and in spasmodic affections, particularly those to whichinfants are liable, arising from dentition and other irritations. The generalrelaxation produced by their use has been taken advantage of, also, for assistingthe reduction of strangulated hernia; for, although the effect be not topical as itregards the hernial tumour, yet the general relaxation produced gives a dispositionto all the parts to regain their proper place. The tepid bath is found to be veryuseful in the rigidities which follow some acute diseases, as gout and rheumatism,nodosities of the joints -, and, according to some, the rigidities attendant on oldage. 3 Its effects in promoting the natural excretions by the skin render it

1 A very simple and convenient vapour bath for military practice has beenrecommended by my friend Dr. A. Nicoll. It may be formed of a commonbeer or spirit barrel, with a false bottom, placed about a foot from the bottom ofthe cask, that is, the end on which it is standing, and perforated with numeroussmall holes. A gun barrel connected with the spout of a tea-kettle placed on afire, is to be introduced into an opening in the side of the cask between the realand false bottom; and the patient, being seated on the false bottom, the steamor vapour from the boiling kettle soon surrounds him by rising through the holes.It must be prevented from escaping by means of a blanket, which should coverthe open end of the cask, and apply closely round the neck of the patient.

4 Haygarth, Clinical History of Diseases, 8vo. Lond. 1805.

3 Tepid bathing with friction is said by one author, " vitam saspe per pluresmenses, interdum. etiam per aliquot annos, protraxisse." — Gregory, C.onsj>eclusMed. ii. 100.

3 M