PERNICIOUS FEVER. 21 



HECTIC FEVER. 



Hectic fever is a remittent fever, rarely^ if ever, idiopathic, but 

 depending upon some local source of irritation, especially if attended 

 with an exhausting discharge ; perhaps arising from the absorption 

 of diseased secretions. 



Symptoms. — Hectic fever is attended with great and increasing 

 debility, a weak, quick, and rather hard pulse, hurried respiration 

 on any exertion, and increased heat of the skin. The exacerbations, 

 which are at first slight, soon become more evident, particularly in 

 the evening ; are preceded by a slight or marked chill ; are attended 

 by increased heat, which is most evident in the hands and face, the 

 skin being at first dry ; and terminate in a free, profuse perspiration, 

 especially the evening paroxysm, which subsides in this manner 

 early in the morning. The bowels are at first costive, but soon 

 become relaxed, and colliquative diarrhoea comes on : the urine is 

 various; generally it is pale, and does not deposit; more rarely, it 

 is high-coloured, and yields a lateritious sediment. While there is 

 general pallor of the surface, the cheeks present what is very aptly 

 styled the "hectic blush." As the disease advances, the whole 

 frame becomes emaciated ; the eyes are sunk in their orbits, but are 

 brilliant and expressive; the ankles and sometimes the legs are 

 oedematous, and the sleep is feverish and disturbed. At last, the 

 diarrhoea and colliquative sweats become more abundant, the respi- 

 ration more hurried, and the debility so great that the patient expires 

 while making some slight exertion. 



Treatment, — This must essentially depend on the cause or patho- 

 logical state which occasions the hectic fever. Where there is dis- 

 ease of the digestive mucous membrane, the treatment consists in 

 strict attention to the diet, in improving the condition of the secretions, 

 in the administration of mild tonics, and the occasional exhibition of 

 saline refrigerant diuretics, and diaphoretics. Gentle astringents, 

 mineral acids, &c., are useful. Of the acids, sulphuric given in 

 infusion of roses is to be preferred. Anodynes in the form of conium, 

 hyosciamus, and humulus or opium are occasionally given. 



PERNICIOUS FEVER. 



Syn. — Congestive fever. — Pernicious intermittent. — Pernicious 

 remittent. — This term should be restricted to an afl^ection, in which 

 there is great and sudden prostration or depi'avation of the nervous 

 power, or, to use a customary phrase, in which the innervation is 

 extremely and most dangerously defective or deranged. (Wood.) 



This modification of miasmatic fever may be intermittent, remit- 

 tent, or continued. It is only, however, when of two or three days 

 duration, that it can be called continued, for if the disease persist, it 

 will almost certainly become paroxysmal. Most frequently it is inter- 



