Erasmus Darwin

“ When by the too great warmth of a room or of clothes, the secretion of perspirable matter is much increased, the strength of the patient is much exhausted by this unnecessary exertion of the capillary system, and thence of the whole secerning and arterial system by association. The diminution of external heat immediately induces a torpor or quiescence of these unnecessary exertions, and the patient instantly feels himself strengthened, and exhilarated ”

“ If the diminution of external heat be too great, produced too hastily, or continued too long, the torpor of the system either becomes so great, that the animal ceases to live; or so great an energy of motion or orgasm of the vessels succeeds, as to produce fever or inflammation. ”

“ After these vessels of the whole surface of the body both absorbent and secretory have been for a time torpid by the application of cold water; and all the internal secerning and absorbent ones have been made torpid from their association with the external; as soon as their usual stimulus of warmth is renewed, they are thrown into more than their usual energy of action; as the hands become hot and painful on approaching the fire after having been immersed some time in snow. ”

“ The thin discharge from the nostrils of some people in cold weather is owing to the torpid state of the absorbent vessels of the membrana sneideriana, which as above are benumbed sooner than those, which perform the secretion of the mucus. ”

“ Hence the face becomes of a red colour in a cold day on turning from the wind, and the insensible perspiration increased by repeatedly going into frosty air, but not continuing in it too long at a time. ”

“ This most frequently happens after the body has been temporarily heated by exercise, warm rooms, anger, or intemperance. Hence colds are produced in the external air by resting after exercise, or by drinking cold water. ”

“ Thus when the limbs on one side are disabled by a stroke of the palsy, those of the other side are perpetually in motion. And hence all people bear riding and other exercises best in cold weather.
Patients in fevers, where the skin is hot, are immediately strengthened by cold air ”

“ For these purposes the application of cold must not be continued too long. For in riding a journey in cold weather, when the feet are long kept too cold, the digestion is impaired, and cardialgia produced. ”

“ Externally the application of carbonic acid gas to cancers and other ulcers instead of atmospheric air may prevent their enlargement, by preventing the union of oxygen with matter, and thus producing a new contagious animal acid. ”