The foregoing remarks have appeared necessary, in order to explain a circumstance mentioned by Hunter, upon which considerable stress has been laid by subsequent writers. Mr. Hunter observed that the whole side of the head in horses that had been bled would frequently become swollen and inflamed. The explanation of this fact appears very simple, when viewed in relation to the general principle illustrated by the above cases. The horse has only one jugular vein upon each side; and, although in the usual operation of bleeding, its channel is not obstructed, yet if the wound do not readily heal, its contents will coagulate. The circulation will then be obstructed in all the distant branches, and the blood, if long retained, will coagulate in them also. It will then part with its serum, and give rise to all the symptoms of inflammation in the distant vessels; a pulpy elastic swelling, accompanied with great pain, will then be the principal symptom, while the turgescence on the surface will be less than where the superficial veins have been mechanically compressed. It will, however, very frequently happen, that a vein in a part may be felt distended without any symptom of inflammation being present; and, in other cases, the pain and swelling will appear and disappear too rapidly to allow the idea that they depend upon inflammation of the coats of the vein. It has occurred to the author, to feel a vein in the arm and hand distended during life, and after death, to find it empty, and its coats of their natural colour and thickness; in such a case, the coagulum gives way, becomes broken up, and mixed with the circulating blood.