Erasmus Darwin

“ The fugitive paleness, which accompanies the coldness of the extremities, is owing to a less quantity of blood passing through the capillaries of the skin in a given time; where the absorbent power of the veins is at the same time much diminished, a part of the blood lingers at their junction with the capillary arteries, and a bluish tinge is mixed with the paleness; as is seen in the loose skin under the eye-lids, and is always a mark of temporary debility. ”

“ In other cases the end of the bone is protruded out of its socket, by inflammation or enlargement of the cartilages or ligaments of the joint, so that it rests on some part of the edge of the acetabulum, which in time becomes filled up. When the legs are straight, as in standing erect, there is no verticillary motion in the knee-joint; all the motion then in turning out the toes further than nature designed, must be obtained by straining in some degree this head of the thigh-bone, or the acetabulum, or cavity, in which it moves. ”

“ Febrile coldness. There is reason to believe, that the beginning of many fever-fits originates in the quiescence of some part of the absorbent system, especially where they have been owing to external cold; but that, where the coldness of the body is not owing to a diminution of external heat, it arises from the inaction of some part of the secerning system. Hence some parts of the body are hot whilst other parts are cold ”

“ After the sensorial power has been much diminished by great preceding activity of the system, as by long continued external heat, or violent exercise, a sudden exposure to much cold produces a torpor both greater in degree and over a greater portion of the system, by subtracting their accustomed stimulus from parts already much deprived of their irritability. ”

“ But as the secreted fluids are not the consequence of mechanical filtration, but of animal selection; we must look out for another cause, which must be found in the decreasing activity of the glands, as we advance in life; and which affects many of our other secretions as well as that of the mucus, which forms the hair. Hence grey hairs are produced on the faces of horses by whatever injures the glands at their roots, as by corrosive blisters ”

“ When the least tendency to become awry is observed, they should be advised to lie down on a bed or sofa for an hour in the middle of the day for many months; which generally prevents the increase of this deformity by taking off for a time the pressure on the spine of the back, and it at the same time tends to make them grow taller. Young persons, when nicely measured, are found to be half an inch higher in a morning than at night ”

“ Whereas I saw some patients couched by depression many years ago by a then celebrated empyric, Chevalier Taylor, who were not confined above a day or two, that the eye might gradually be accustomed to light, and who saw as well as by extraction, perhaps better, without either pain, or inflammation, or any hazard of losing the eye. ”

“ For on directing her to lie down much in the day, and to take the bark, the distortion became less, and the palpitation and quick respiration became less at the same time. After this observation a neck-swing was directed, and she took the bark, madder, and bone-ashes; and she continues to amend both in her shape and health.
Delicate young ladies are very liable to become awry at many boarding schools. This is occasioned principally by their being obliged too long to preserve an erect attitude, by sitting on forms many hours together. ”

“ If a hard part of the stays, even a knot of the thread, with which they are sewed together, is pressed hard upon one side more than the other, the child bends from the side most painful, and thus occasions a curvature of the spine. To counteract this effect such stays, as have fewest hard parts, and especially such as can be daily or weekly turned, are preferable to others.
Where frequent lying down on a sofa in the day-time, and swinging frequently for a short time by the hands or head, with loose dress, do not relieve a beginning distortion of the back ”

“ The innutrition of the bones is often first to be perceived by the difficulty of breathing and palpitation of the heart on walking a little faster than usual, which I suppose is owing to the softness of the ends of the ribs adjoining to the sternum; on which account they do not perfectly distend the chest, when they are raised by the pectoral and intercostal muscles with greater force than usual. After this the spine becomes curved both by the softness of its vertebræ, and for the purpose of making room for the disturbed heart. ”

“ This has led some to imagine, that the cause of the whiteness of the hair in elderly people may arise from the diminution, or greater tenuity, of the glandular vessels, which secrete the mucus, which hardens into hair ”

“ Now as the animal grows older, the artery becomes less visible, and perhaps carries only a transparent fluid, and at length in some subjects I suppose ceases to be pervious; then it follows, that the crystalline lens, losing some fluid, and gaining none, becomes dry, and in consequence opake; for the same reason, that wet or oiled paper is more transparent than when it is dry, as explained in Class I. 1. 4. 1. The want of moisture in the cornea of old people, when the exhalation becomes greater than the supply, is the cause of its want of transparency ”

“ On cutting off with scissars the cornea of a calf's eye, and holding it in the palm of one's hand, so as to gain a proper light, the artery, which supplies nutriment to the crystalline humour, is easily and beautifully seen ”

“ It is the same pressure which produces curvatures and distortions of the spine in growing children, where the bones are softer than usual; and which may thus be relieved by an horizontal posture for an hour in the middle of the day, or by being frequently allowed to lean on a chair, or to play on the ground on a carpet.
Young ladies should also be directed, where two sleep in a bed, to change every night, or every week, their sides of the bed; which will prevent their tendency to sleep always on the same side ”

“ The only way to prevent this curvature of the spine is for the child to wear a high-heeled shoe or patten on the lame foot, so as to support that side on the same level with the other, and thus to prevent a greater deformity.
I have this day seen a young lady about twelve, who does not limp or waddle in walking ”

“ Tawny blotches on the skin of the face and arms of elderly people, and frequently on their legs after slight erysipelas. The freckles on the face of younger people, who have red hair, seem to be a similar production, and seem all to be caused by the coalescence of the minute arteries or capillaries of the part. ”

“ And as the grey colour of hair consists in its want of transparency, like water converted into snow; there is reason to suppose, that a defect of secreted moisture simply may be the cause of this kind of opacity, as explained in Cataracta, Class I. 2. 2. 13.
M. M. Whatever prevents the inirritability and insensibility of the system, that is, whatever prevents the approach of old age, will so far counteract the production of grey hairs, which is a symptom of it. ”

“ Another great cause of injury to the shape of young ladies is from the pressure of stays, or other tight bandages, which at the same time cause other diseases by changing the form or situation of the internal parts. ”

“ This has induced me to believe, that this misfortune of the nodding of the head by the bone, or partial dislocation of it, by which one leg becomes shorter than the other, is sometimes occasioned by making very young children stand in what are called stocks ”

“ Several, who have lived rather intemperately in respect to fermented or spirituous liquors, become suddenly seized about the age of sixty, or later, with a total stoppage of urine; though they have previously had no symptoms of gravel. ”

“ There are also proper webs lined with fur for the hands to take hold off occasionally, and also to go under the arms. By these means I should hope great advantage from gradually extending the spine during the inactivity of the muscles of the back; and that it may be done without disturbing the sleep of the patient, and if this should happen, the bow is made to open by a joint at the summit of it, so as to be instantly disengaged from the neck by the hand of the wearer. ”

“ The use of this chair is more efficacious in straightening the spine, than simply lying down horizontally; as it not only takes off the pressure of the head and shoulders from the spine, but at the same time the inferior parts of the body contribute to draw the spine straight by their weight ”

“ It will be from hence easily perceived, that all other methods of confining or directing the growth of young people should be used with great skill; such as back-boards, or bandages, or stocks for the feet ”