A STUDY OP FEVER. 



tnent is slow, but the rapidit}^ of the increase becomes more 

 and more rapid as the temperature rises until the maximum 

 rate is reached. Panura has found that the cut out heart of 

 the rabbit responds to heat in the same way as does that of 

 the frog, and Brunton has experimented by bringing the rabbit 

 profoundly under the influence of the chloral, and then sur- 

 rounding him with a jacket of hot water. These experiments 

 of Brunton are of course completely parallel with those in 

 which I exposed animals in hot air ; in both instances there 

 was a great rise in the rapidity of the cardiac action. 



It is, of course, impossible to experiment directly upon 

 man, but the brain and the heart of man must be subject to 

 the same laws, so far as regards gi'oss forces like heat, as the 

 brain of other animals. It is simply inconceivable that what 

 has been proven as true of the lower animals is not true of 

 man. Moreover, we have very direct evidence that heat does 

 affect the organs of man as it does those of animals. 



Thus we have an elaborate study on the action of fever heat 

 upon the pulse of man, by Dr. C. Liebermeister, who analj'zed 

 the records of 280 cases of acute disorder not directly affecting 

 the brain or heart, accompanied by a rise of temperature, and 

 mostly observed by himself. The following table represents 

 the minimum, maximum, and mean : — 



Temperature 37° 38° 39° 40° 41° 42^ 



(Centigrade) 



( Minimum 45 44 52 64 66 88 



Pulse < Maximum 124 148 160 158 160 168 



(Mean 71.6 88.1 97.2 105.3 109.6 121.7 



There are so many factors entering into the causation of 

 increased action of the circulation in febrile diseases, that it is 

 to be expected that the minimum and maximum can scarcely 

 obe}'- any fixed law, but in a very large number of observations 

 the action of the general cause of the increased pulse-rate 



