concurrence of various venous streams of blood from different distances must prevent any pulsation in the larger branches, yet in the very beginnings of all these branches a pulsation must unavoidably exist, if the circulation in them was owing to the intermitted force of the arteries.  Secondly, the venous absorption of blood from the penis, and from the teats of female animals after their erection, is still more similar to the lymphatic absorption, as it is previously poured into cells, where all arterial impulse must cease.

There is an experiment, which seems to evince this venous absorption, which consists in the external application of a stimulus to the lips, as of vinegar, by which they become instantly pale; that is, the bibulous mouths of the veins by this stimulus are excited to absorb the blood faster, than it can be supplied by the usual arterial exertion.  See Sect.  XXIII. 5.

There are two kinds of haemorrhages frequent in diseases, one is where the glandular or capillary action is too powerfully exerted, and propels the blood forwards more hastily, than the veins can absorb it; and the other is, where the absorbent power of the veins is diminished, or a branch of them is become totally paralytic.

1.  The former of these cases is known by the heat of the part, and the general fever or inflammation that accompanies the haemorrhage.  An haemorrhage from the nose or from the lungs is sometimes a crisis of inflammatory diseases, as of the hepatitis and gout, and generally ceases spontaneously, when the vessels are considerably emptied.  Sometimes the haemorrhage recurs by daily periods accompanying the hot fits of fever, and ceasing in the cold fits, or in the intermissions; this is to be cured by removing the febrile paroxysms, which will be treated of in their place.  Otherwise it is cured by venesection, by the internal or external preparations of lead, or by the application of cold, with an abstemious diet, and diluting liquids, like other inflammations.  Which by inducing a quiescence on those glandular parts, that are affected, prevents a greater quantity of blood from being protruded forwards, than the veins are capable of absorbing.

Mr. B——­ had an haemorrhage from his kidney, and parted with not less than a pint of blood a day (by conjecture) along with his urine for above a fortnight:  venesections, mucilages, balsams, preparations of lead, the bark, alum, and dragon’s blood, opiates, with a large blister on his loins, were separately tried, in large doses, to no purpose.  He was then directed to bathe in a cold spring up to the middle of his body only, the upper part being covered, and the haemorrhage diminished at the first, and ceased at the second immersion.

In this case the external capillaries were rendered quiescent by the coldness of the water, and thence a less quantity of blood was circulated through them; and the internal capillaries, or other glands, became quiescent from their irritative associations with the external ones; and the haemorrhage was stopped a sufficient time for the ruptured vessels to contract their apertures, or for the blood in those apertures to coagulate.