364 TREA TMENT OF FE VER. 



bronchitis, or pleurisy, or acute rheumatism is about 

 to supervene ! 



I have more than once seen acute surgical fever, in 

 which the temperature was 104, following an opera- 

 tion, suddenly cut short by a dose of calomel ; and 

 even in cases in which the symptoms were such as to 

 justify the inference that inflammation of the mem- 

 branes of the brain was commencing, two or three 

 good doses of calomel have apparently been the means 

 of effecting a cure. Nor can I believe that the prac- 

 tice of giving sharp purgatives, so frequently adopted 

 by the late Dr. Chambers, rested upon an altogether 

 erroneous view, and was entirely superfluous and use- 

 less. I doubt if the old woman's detestable dose of 

 warm salts and senna, administered with never-failing 

 regularity once a month to each unfortunate little 

 schoolboy of former days, was by any means an un- 

 wise or even an unscientific proceeding. I am not at 

 all sure that many an organism which becomes the 

 victim of disease -germs would not have been able to 

 resist the contagion had- the" excreting organs been 

 judiciously excited to moderate action at the proper 

 intervals of time. It is probable that the occasional 

 free action of the bowels, skin, and kidneys greatly 

 diminishes the chance of contracting disease. Salts, 

 senna, jalap, scammony, and cream of tartar are 

 remedies very often used, in one form or another, by 

 people who are their own medical advisers, and who 

 work hard ; and many of those who waste enormous 



