Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/713

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preparation of the morbid matter, are the moiftening things in general ; fuch are a fufficient quantity of warm and weak fluids, as the common barly water, and the like; and teas made of the common herbs of fage, mint, baum, &c. with the milder alexipharmic roots ; with thefe aifo are to be given the gentle refolvents, fuch as are able to break the thick and tough confidence of the humours. Of this kind are the tem- perate alexipharmic roots efpecially, as they are alfo endowed with a diuretic virtue. Such are the roots of elecampane, pimpernel, butterbur, and the like. Scordium is alfo by iome greatly commended in this intention. Thefe may be conveni- ently given in decodtions or infufionsj and with thefe pow- ders are to be given compofed of the abfterfive and digeftive falts, fuch as tartarum vitriolatum, and the like, mixed with fuch things, as have a power of obtunding and incraflating the acrid and thin fulphurous faline humours; fuch are the the abforbent powders of oifter fhells, crab's claws, and the like. Thefe mould be firft. fated with lemon juice, and then mixed with a little nitre, and with the beforementioned falts, they make an excellent medicine. Thefe may be given, every three, four, or fix hours, as the urgency of fymptoms re- quire, and a draught of the deception before prelcrjbed, given after them. Emulfions of fweet almonds, and the cooling feeds are alfo very proper between whiles. The medicines by which the phyfician is to aflift nature in her following bufinefs of excretion, are the gentle diaphoretics, among which, the diaphoretic antimony, when truly prepared, holds a very high place. The alexepharmics, which have alfo a diuretic virtue, fuch as the mixtura fimplex, when faithfully prepared and lightly camphorated, are very proper ; and the bowels are in the mean time to be kept open by emollient gly- fters. Thefe things are proper in a\l fivers, but in fome alio vo- mits, gently laxative medicinesand bleeding, are extremely pro- per: thofe however are not to be admitted at random in all kinds. All violent medicines are to be dre«ued in fivers, for nature ufually attempts to do her office placidly and quietly in thefe cafes, and fuch medicines violently difturb her motions, and of- ten bring on mifchiefs, which flic would have wholly avoided. For this reafon, vomits t'ho* they are by fome given indifcri- minately in all fivers, are to be very cauticuflv meddled with ; and there are in reality only a few fivers in which they can be allowed to be proper: for in acute legitimate fivers, the caufe of the difeafe never lies in the pnm.-e viae, and the violent emotions in vomiting, not only dreadfully difturb the flomach and bowels, but occafion a fullnefs of the veflels about the head and neck, with various diforders of the head in par- ticular. In bilious fevers the caufe is indeed evidently in the prima? viae, but even in thefe, it is not fo difpofed as to be fo fafely thrown up by vomit, nor can the infl minatory fl^te of the patient, at that time properly bear fuch a violent mock. In intermittents, vomits are never proper unlefs in tertians, for the caufe in the other does not lie in the prims vias ; and even tn tertians it may be difpoted to evacuation by gentler means, and without the violent tumult that a vomit occafions in the body. Acrid purges alio are in general to be avoided in fevers; bleeding though abfolutely neceflary in fynochal or continent fivers, is not advifeable in many others, and very often the opening a vein and taking away too little blood, is the occafion of congeftions of blood in the head, whence arife deliriums and other dreadful lymptoms. The giving the hot fudorific medicines before the proper time, greatly dis- turbs nature, and brings on many ill confequences. Junker's Confp. Med. p. 261.

In all fevers the drinking plentifully of warm weak liquors, is attended with many good confequences ; the patient is always refrefhed by it,the febrile heat is mitigated,and reft is promoted, and the proper and necefTary fweats forwarded. The fymp- toms of fivers are never to be fo regarded as to prevent the due attention to the principal point, nor is the phyfician to be alarmed at them. Want of appetite and thirft with long watchings, are not to be attacked with particular medicines, but looked on as mere fymptoms, that will hereafter go off of trremfelves; and inquietude of mind mould have no other medicine, than ferious advice of the harm it will do. Sud- den cooling of the body in all fivers, is a very dangerous tiling. The patient is to be advifed to fwallow his liquids gently not haftily. Volatile falts have been with many of a long time in great ufe in fivers, but they are ufually attend- ed with bad confluences afterwards, many perfons having ■ been thrown into cedematous fwelling of the legs and feet, and fome into an abfolute afcites, only by the ufe of thefe in fevers.

Acids in general are by many very much dreaded in fivers, but there is no real ground for this; on the contrary, in fan- guineous fivers during the time of the violent heat, and im- moderate thirit, they are found of the greateft. ufe and bene- fit, bpirit of vitriol or of fulpur, lemon-juice, with that of barberries, are all found very beneficial $ only in cafes where there is a cough, the vitriolic acid is to be avoided, becaufe it ufually irritates that fymptom, and lemon-juice fweetened with fugar al.me, is to be given. The ufe of aftringent me- dicines though tec ci'inmon, yet is extremely improper in ill Suppl. Vol. I.

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fivers ; for in all thefe cafes, the Secretions and excretions all require to find the ways open ; but thefe are all obitruflcd by aftringents, and violent fymptoms are brought on by this means, and often death. But in ftubborn intermittents, where the peccant matter is difcharged, and yei thefe fymptoms ft- mam merely from their having become habitual ; t leL af- tringents may be allowed of, and are indeed not only (ale, but of the greateft ufe. Junier's Confp. Med. p. 263. -Twtre is an admirable medicine in fevers in general ; it agreed with all temperaments, but principally with the hot; when taken in folution with warm and weak liquors it always gent- ly opens the bowels, and when given in powders, it more than all other things obtunds the acrimony ot the humours. In feverilh diforders accompanied with haemorrhages, the ar- nica vera, has been recommended. See Arnica vera. Benign catarrhal Fever, in medicine, the name given by au- thors to a fever extremely different from the malignant one of the fame denomination, which is alio called by way of diftinc- tion petechialis. This is the difeafe defcribed in the writings of the antients, under the name of febris quotidiana c ntmua. It is properly a continual fymptomatic fever, in which na- ture is labouring of herfclf to correct the vitiated lymph, whether its faults be in quality, or only in motion. This is done by increasing the fecretory and excretory motions beyond their natural ftandard, but yet not to any great violence. The difference between this and the malignant kind, though fo very great, as to make them appear wholly different fpecies, yet it is only in degree. Junker's Confp. Med.

Signs of it. This fever always attacks people in an evening ; and is principally frequent in the fprmg and autumnal leafuns. A gravedo and coryza either prefage it, or are immediately joined with it, aud the patient is afflicted with a hoarlenefs, and difficulty of fwallowing, be feels alfo a kind ot inflam- mation, or as it were a St. Anthony's fire within his throat, and a weight in the breaft; and is attended through the whole courfe ot the difeafe with a violent cough, which brings up nothing, and with a remarkable univerfal languor of the b.idy. Pains in the back attended with ihiverings, frequently alio at- tend the firft attacks of .this fiver, and continue half an hour, fometimes an hour ; thefe are fucceeded immediately by a heat, but that net violent, and this brings on a fenf. of ftrait- nefs over the breaft, a difficulty of breathing, and in fome people, a continual reaching to vomit. This heat endures fewer or more hours, according to the degree of the plethora. The pulfe is frequent and quick, the app. tite is weak, the ftrength fails, and the fleep becomes unquiet and difturbed, the head rather feels weak than painful, and fometimes vo- mitings, often diarrhseas, foon fucceed thefe complaints. Sweats are frequent and copious, and the urine, which is of an orange colour, as it is in all inflammatory fevers, has this peculiar in this cafe, that it depofits a bluiih white skin, beiide the rofe coloured Sediment.

Perfons fubjetl to it. Thefe are principally thofe of a fanguine or pfekgmatic habit, and fuch as have a very faulty ferum ; fuch as are obliged by their ufual occupations to expofe their head and neck much to the cold ; thofe who have had the itch, or any other violent cutaneous eruption ftruck in upon them; and thofe who are watchful long in the night, and di ink too much wine.

Caufes of it. Thefe are frequently violent and fudden cooling of the body, as when hot with exercife, by drinking large draughts of cold liquors ; the acrid matter ufed to be thrown off by a coryza, driven back ; and all things which any way impede natural and healthful perfpiration. Prognoflics in it. The fimple catarrhal fever often goes off very happily without the affiftance of medicines, only by obferv- ing a good regimen; but notwithstanding this natural mild- nefs, it often becomes dangerous to particular constitutions, and by means of improper treatment; but the more it recedes from its natural mildnefs, and the more intenfe the heat is, the greater lear there is of fome of the vifcera being injured. The happieft event of it is, by a daily refolution and Succef- five dissipation of the morbific matter.

Method of treatment. The fault of the lymph in this difeafe ufually confifting in its vifcous and mucous texture, this is to be relived by alexipharmics, and the like medicines. The roots of elecampane, pimpernel, and vincetoxicum are famous for doing great fervice in thefe cafes ; and to thefe may very properly be added, the faSirie digeilives ; fuch as nitre and the tartarum vitriolatum. The mixtura fimplex is alfo to be giv- en in dofes of twenty-five drops, twice or ofterier in a day. The cough is to be moderated by liquorice, emulfions of fweet almonds, oil of almonds and barley-water, water-gruel or the like. The bowels are alfo to be gently kept open by a laxa- tive diet, a frequent drinking of weak and emollient liquors, and by clyfters at proper times. Malignant Catarrhal Fever, in medicine, the name of a fever extremely different from the Simple catarrhal fiver, and g.eat- ly more dangerous. This is alfo called by fome the petechial catarrhal fever. It is a difeafe in which nature is endeavour- ing, by incitafing the Secretory and excretory motions, to \i F tlimi-