There is a state of fever in which an excess in the action of the blood-vessels is barely perceptible, but which often threatens immediate danger to life, by a determination of blood to a vital part. In this case I have frequently seen the scale turn in favour of life, by the loss of but four or five ounces of blood. The pressure of this, and even of a much less quantity of blood in the close of a fever, I believe, as effectually destroys life as the excess of several pounds does in its beginning. In cases where bleeding does not cure, it may be used with advantage as a _palliative_ remedy. Many diseases induce death in a full and highly excited state of the system. Here opium does harm, while bleeding affords certain relief. It belongs to this remedy, in such cases, to ease pain, to prevent convulsions, to compose the mind, to protract the use of reason, to induce sleep, and thus to smooth the passage out of life. XIV. Bleeding from an artery, commonly called arteriotomy, would probably have many advantages over venesection, could it be performed at all times with ease and safety. Blood discharged by hæmorrhages affords more relief, in fevers, than an equal quantity drawn from a vein, chiefly because it is poured forth, in the former case, from a ruptured artery. I mentioned formerly, that Dr. Mitchell had found blood drawn from an artery to be what is called dense, at a time when that which was drawn from a vein, in the same persons, was dissolved. This fact may possibly admit of some application. In the close of malignant fevers, where bleeding has been omitted in the beginning of the disease, blood drawn from a vein is generally so dissolved, as to be beyond the reach of repeated bleedings to restore it to its natural texture. In this case, arteriotomy might probably be performed with advantage. The arteries, which retain their capacity of life longer than the veins, by being relieved from the immediate pressure of blood upon them, might be enabled so to act upon the torpid veins, as to restore their natural action, and thereby to arrest departing life. Arteriotomy might further be used with advantage in children, in whom it is difficult, and sometimes impracticable to open a vein. XV. Much has been said about the proper place from whence blood should be drawn. Bleeding in the foot was much used formerly, in order to excite a revulsion from the head and breast; but our present ideas of the circulation of the blood have taught us, that it may be drawn from the arm with equal advantage in nearly all cases. To bleeding in the foot there are the following objections: 1. The difficulty of placing a patient in a situation favourable to it. 2. The greater danger of wounding a tendon in the foot than in the arm, And, 3. The impossibility of examining the blood after it is drawn; for, in this mode of bleeding, the blood generally flows into a basin or pail of water.