Mechanical action excites, feet and hands are warmed by friction, temperature is increased because of nerve excitation. The chafing of nerves excite greater action, while blood circulation and its temperature remains the same. Masseurs, osteopaths and spondylotherapists, who rub, stroke, knead and tap the superficial soft parts of the body with the hand or an instrument for remedial purposes, excite or depress the action and functions of the nervous tissue, increasing or lessening nerve vibration, consequently, changing the temperature of the body. Operations are followed by a rise of temperature because of injury to the nervous tissue. Electricity stimulates, because of greater nerve tension.
Poisons create more or less contraction of nerve tissue.
Impingements excite, create greater nerve tension. Nerve injuries produce excessive heat, consequently, pathological conditions. In neuralgia there is no fever, no constitutional disturbance. In neuritis the tension and pain is in the whole length of the nerve, while in rheumatism and many other diseases the stretch, the tension, is confined to a very short portion of a nerve. A disease is said to be acute when it is severe, of short duration, attended with danger, of rapid progress and its termination for better or worse is quickly reached.