Chap. IX. Of Intermitting Fevers] 45 



Now all thofe things that can any Ways (Tu Ca r f 

 weaken and deftroy the natural Tone of the intermi^ttinz 

 Stomach, may very readily bring on Inter- Pevers. 

 mitting Fevers ; and therefore they are often- 

 times the EfFed of fome Fever, Surfeit, or Cold, taken in 

 low marfhy Grounds, which have never been clearly car- 

 ried off, but by their long Continuance have left a Debi- 

 lity and Weaknefs behind them ; the eating Herbs that are 

 of a cold vifcid Nature, and which grow plentifully in 

 fome Seafons, may alfo give Origin to Intermitting Dif- 

 tempers. But nothing contributes more to the bringing 

 on of fuch Diforders, than an unskilful and frequent Ufe 

 of Phyfick ; for as the Stomach is ufually the firft Scene of 

 Adtion for all fuch Things, it is eafy enough to conceive 

 how the Tone of its Fibres may be relaxed or broke, fo as 

 to render it unfit to perform Digeftion as it ought to do ; 

 and therefore as the Aliment is not fufficiently comminuted 

 in the Stomach, a great deal of its grofs and vifcid Parts 

 mull be tranfmitted into the Mafs of Blood, and there- 

 by retard its Motion in the fmall Veffels of the Extre- 

 mities. 



The Signs are firft a Coldnefs, withTrem- '^^^e Signs. 

 bling, accompanied with a Debility and Laf- 

 litude, which is fucceeded by an extreme Heat and Droughty 

 that fuddenly terminates in a plentiful Sv*'eat, and as foon 

 as that is over, the Horfe will feed, and appear as if he 

 was quite recover'd, until another Fit overtakes him. 



But in order to the Cure, it will be neceflary to remem- 

 ber, that the Blood, in all Intermitting Fevers, is render'd 

 thick and vifcid ; and therefore to bring the Difiemper to 

 a Solution, it is neceflary that thofe Vifcidities fhould be 

 broke, and this happens during the hot Fit, fo that a great 

 deal of that Lentor is thrown off in Sweat : But becaufe 

 the Stomach continues ftill in its weak and debilitated Con- 

 dition, there is therefore a conflant Supply of frefh Vifci- 

 dity communicated to the Blood, for which Reafon the 

 Difeafe returns. But if there be no Alteration in the Habit 

 of the Body, the Difeafe will be apt to return at certain 

 Times, and the Intervals betv/een the Paroxifms^ or Fits, 

 will be equal ; becaufe while we fuppofe near the fame 

 Quantity of the common and ufual Food to be eat, and 

 that there is the fame Capacity of Digeftion left in the 

 Stomach ; moreover, that all the common Difcharges 

 are the fame, or near the fame, in any given Space, viz. 



in 



