An inquiry concerning that disturbed state of the vital functions usually denominated constitutional irritation / by Benjamin Travers.

Travers, Benjamin, 1783-1858.

Date:: 1827

Credit: An inquiry concerning that disturbed state of the vital functions usually denominated constitutional irritation / by Benjamin Travers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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$foreign bodies ;—the second favors the extension of inflammations of the skin, fascia, and lymphatic vessels, and of such as have more of a consti- tutional than local origin, and likewise the rapid transmission and accumulation of effused and secreted fluids. When the cellular membrane of a large surface, as for example, of an entire limb, becomes acutely inflamed, and, in addition to the large quantity of blood determined to it, is gorged to distention with the products of such inflam- mation, the constitutional sympathy is most ur- gent and alarming, and, unless speedily relieved by active measures, fatal. Muscle. Lsesions of muscular fibre are severely felt, on account of its properties, as well as texture. Spasmodic action, that is, irregular and involun- tary, and imperfect contractions, is an unavoid- able consequence. The irritation is greatly ag- gravated if, from the nature of the injury, any detached or extraneous body acts as an irritant, as in the penetration of muscles by bony spicula in comminuted fracture. To this cause is re- ferable one of the severest, and most frequently fatal forms of reflected irritation—tetanus. '^'^SvL^cir'' The dense, unyielding texture of ten- dinous and ligamentous fibre renders the system impatient of injuries of such textures, and irri- table under their consequences. Tendons are in- closed in proper sheaths of the same dense fibre. Fascial aponeuroses form the common sheaths to$