334 



DR. WILSON FOX'S CASES. 



In Dr. Fox's second case, also, in which the tempe- 

 rature was reduced from 107 to 98 within an hour, 

 large quantities of brandy (from twenty-four to 

 twenty-eight ounces in twenty-four hours) were given, 

 and Dr. Fox expresses a doubt whether the man 

 would have recovered at all had the stimulant been 

 withheld. 



In a case of Dr. Meding's* quoted by Dr. Fox 

 the temperature fell from io8'6 to 99'5 in five hours 

 during the application of ice-cold cloths to the body, 

 and enemata of iced water given every half hour. 

 The pulse fell from 140 to 72, perspiration ensued, 

 and the patient rapidly recovered. In this case no 

 stimulant at all was administered, but the temperature 

 fell much more slowly than in Dr. Fox's cases. It 

 was certainly slight as compared with the two cases 

 reported by Dr. Fox, and with many that I have 

 myself seen, and treated successfully with frequently 

 repeated doses of brandy without recourse to the 

 application of cold. 



Dr. Wilson Fox considers that in acute rheumatism 

 active treatment by cold should be commenced when 

 the temperature reaches 107, and all physicians who 

 have had much experience in the treatment of des- 

 perate cases of the kind will be disposed to agree with 

 him; for although the opinion may be fairly enter- 

 tained, that in many cases the rise of temperature to 

 the danger-point may be prevented by treatment, and 



* Archiv. fur Heilkunde, 1870, xi., p. 467. 



