FEVER. 41 



SO on until the inflammation is subdued. Then give sixty 

 grains of carbonate of ammonia every two hours, in warm 

 water, until the strength and health seem restored. Hub the 

 legs with alcohol, one pint, and capsicum, one ounce. If the 

 bowels are costive at the start, give forty grains of podophyllin. 



GENEEAL FEVEES-ALL CONTAGIOUS. 



FEVER. 



The subject of fever is one which has perplexed the minds 

 of medical men from the beginning of medical investigation. 

 I do not propose to examine the different theories that have 

 been advanced. I only propose to give what seems to me to 

 be a reasonable explanation of it. Fever is an increase of the 

 heat or temperature of the animal body. It is a remarkable 

 fact that, in the state of health, though there are several 

 sources of heat in the animal bod}^, and as many agencies op- 

 erating on it of a cooling nature, there is never a change in the 

 temperature of the body of any consequence j not, in the ex- 

 treme, amounting to over one or two degrees. 'Now, when this 

 temperature or animal heat becomes increased, that unhealthy 

 condition called fever exists. That it is an unhealthy condition 

 is clear, from the fact that, if such increased heat were to con- 

 tinue, the life of the animal would, in no great time, be destroyed. 

 The principal source of heat in the animal body is the combus- 

 tion which takes place between the oxygen of the air, taken in 

 by the lungs, and the carbon carried in the blood. Other 

 chemical actions going on in the system produce heat ; and, if it 

 were not for the cooling processes spoken of, this heat w^ould soon 

 become so great as to carry destruction to every part of the 

 system. Now, if, from any cause, that balance between the 

 chemical actions producing heat and those processes cooling 



