Medical reform : a treatise on man's physical being and disorders, embracing an outline of a theory of human life, and a theory of disease--its nature, cause, and remedy / by Isaac Jennings.

  • Jennings, Isaac, active 1847-1860.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical reform : a treatise on man's physical being and disorders, embracing an outline of a theory of human life, and a theory of disease--its nature, cause, and remedy / by Isaac Jennings. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    tomcd internal action upon it, of any condensed and powerful irritant, in considerable quantities. But if a small quantity, well diluted, be commenced with, and gradually increased, in process of time a good constitution may be brought to bear, without apparent injury at the time, enormous quantities of very active poison—in one day a quantity sufficient to kill a num- ber of men of equal strength of constitution, that have never used the article. In common parlance, this is accounted for by saying, M the system gets accustomed to it. The law of accomodation puts the parts on which the poison acts, in a posture of defense, by coating over the delicate nerves, and by collecting and keeping in force on the field of action, a standing army of vital forces. As my principal object in this analysis of the general law of the economy of human life, is to prepare the reader for a better understanding of the true nature of what is called disease, and as it affords a favorable opportu- nity for calling attention to the elementary parts of impaired healthy action, it may not be amiss to dwell a little on this branch of my subject. We will suppose a sound, healthy human system invaded for the first time by its potent and mortal enemy—king alcohol. Its economy of life, unlearned and unpractised in the absurd doctrine, uin lime of peace prepare for war, and unsuspicious that any foe would disturb the harmony of her action, has appropriated no more power to any department of labor than is requisite for the faithful performance of the work pertaining to that department. The parts of the system, therefore, that are called to meet and battle with the enemy for the first time, although it be but a brush with a small vanguard, or a few strag- gling pioneers, tire and stagger tinder the additional burden imposed upon them. The distressed condition of the injured parts calls into action the law of stim- ulation, or the rallying power, the division of the