BY COLD EXTERNALLY. 



333 



rise of 4 or 5 within a period of a few hours, death 

 usually taking place a short time after a temperature 

 of 107 has been reached, and sometimes before so 

 high a maximum has been attained. The high tem- 

 perature may persist for some time after death, and a 

 further (post-mortem) considerable elevation has been 

 witnessed. It is, indeed, seldom that recovery occurs 

 after the temperature has reached 106 in a case of 

 acute rheumatism ; but Dr. Fox gives a full account 

 of two remarkable cases of the disease which recovered 

 after a temperature of 110 in the one and IO7'3 in 

 the other, had been attained. Both these cases were 

 treated by the application of cold. In the first, when 

 the temperature was 107, the patient was immersed 

 in a bath at 96. The temperature, however, still rose 

 until it was I io c in the rectum, when " ice was fetched ; 

 a large lump was placed on her chest, another on her 

 abdomen ; a bag filled with ice was tied down the 

 length of her spine ; and while two assistants baled 

 the warmer water out of the bath, two others poured 

 iced water over the patient as rapidly as the pails 

 could be filled." Within half an hour the temperature 

 in the rectum had fallen to 103*6, and in less than 

 another half-hour to 99'5. It is, however, worthy of 

 note, that the patient took six ounces of brandy while 

 the ice and cold water were being applied, during 

 one hour, when the temperature fell more than 10. 

 Subsequently eighteen ounces of brandy per diem 

 were given for several days. 



