IN CASES OF FEVER. 



345 



and inflammatory diseases are valuable, on account of 

 the influence they exert in checking the growth of 

 bioplasm and preventing the impending destruction of 

 tissue ; and although in too many instances the pro- 

 cess may have proceeded beyond our control, yet even 

 in these we may often retard the inevitable result. 



In bad cases of fever and general inflammation the 

 patient may die, as already indicated, from failure of 

 a congenially weak heart ; but the life of those who 

 have the advantage of a strong and vigorous organ is 

 often destroyed at a later period of the malady by the 

 excessive growth and multiplication of bioplasm in 

 the blood, one consequence of which is plugging of so 

 many capillary vessels of the tissues as to lead to 

 complete suspension of their action, and to damage or 

 destruction of their structure. If life be preserved, the 

 structure of the capillaries, nerves, and adjacent tex- 

 tures may be irreparably damaged ; and in this way 

 parts of organs of the highest importance to life may 

 be so altered, that they can never regain their former 

 healthy condition, in which case the organism will 

 never be sound, or as healthy and vigorous as it was 

 before the attack of fever. 



In the tissues of many of those who have died from 

 fever of many different kinds I have seen the capillary 

 vessels and small arteries and veins completely ob- 

 structed by minute particles of rapidly growing bio- 

 plasm, and in not a few instances the minute vessels 

 are dilated in the interval between two constricted 



