A Methodical Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Physic - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1772. Excerpt: ... CHAP. V. Description, and Method of Treatment, of the Putrid Continual Fever. TH E fourth species of continued fever hath its denomination from the depraved state of the fluids, which are either corrupted previous to the disease, or quickly pass on to the putrescent state. This species, before Dr. LangrisiVs time, was confounded with the nervous; but though both nervous and inflammatory fevers, toward the close, often shew that by that time the crasis of the blood is destroyed, yet we are not to confound them with this, wherein, from the very beginning, there is some peculiar acrimony, which dissolves the bond of union among the insensible particles, and allows them to run into combinations opposite to the mild, smooth, and emollient nature of blood in the healthy state. The blood, when thus dissolved, often transudes, and runs off by actual hæmorrhage, or mixes with the lymphatic juices and mucous secretions. The morbific matter which gives rife to putrid fevers, appears in fome casses to be generated gradually within the body, and is deemed the consequence of feeding on ill-cured animal food, without a sufficient quantity of sound vegetables to correct the putrescent tendency. At other times, putrid fevers are caught by infection, and are caused by those subtile matters termed Miasmata, which take their rise in different ways, and are capable of being conveyed to distant places. It was observed on a former occasion, that we must confess our ignorance of the intimate qualities of the various kinds of subtile matter which produce the different species of fevers, as well as some other diseases; neither can we explain the manner in which these miasmata miasmata change the healthy state of the blood, nor give any more satisfactory account, than by liken...