Essays medical and experimental / [Thomas Percival].

  • Percival, Thomas, 1740-1804.
Date:
1772
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essays medical and experimental / [Thomas Percival]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    51/430 (page 29)
    and every phcenomenon was accounted for, on the principles of fermentation, putrefaction, corrofion, effervefcence, fo- lution, or mixture. The functions of the body were explained by analogies drawn from chemical experiments. Thus the folution of the ailments in the ftomach wasafcribedto an acid, becaufe acids were obferved to dilfolve metak, and other fub- Itances of the firmed texture. Mufcu- lar motion was accounted for,by an effer¬ vefcence and explofion in the imaginary rhomboidal receptacles, refembling the tumults raifed by the mixture of an acid and an alkali. The generation of animal heat, was imputed to the combination of the acid chyle with a fuppofed ball am of the blood, becaufe a fimilar effeCt is pro¬ duced by uniting acids with diddled oils. If the acid of the chyle happen to be high¬ ly concentrated, and the juices very acri¬ monious, according to his theory, an ar¬ dent fever is excited. The cold fit of an intermittent, was afcribed to the aCtionof nitre