490 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



facts I have delivered ; and as I have only mentioned the lead- 

 ing circumstances, for the whole variety you must go to your 

 books." 



CHAP. II. OF THE PROXIMATE CAUSE OF FEVER. 



XXXIII. The proximate cause of fever seems hitherto to 

 have eluded the research of physicians ; and I shall not pretend 

 to ascertain it in a manner that may remove every difficulty ; 

 but I shall endeavour to make an approach towards it, and such 

 as I hope may be of use in conducting the practice in this dis- 

 ease : while, at the same time, I hope to avoid several errors 

 which have formerly prevailed on this subject. 



66 In the first place, it must be observed, that a great difficulty 

 arises from this, that the phenomena are very numerous and va- 

 rious, and that therefore it cannot be easy to refer the whole to one 

 simple and common cause ; at the same time, from these phe- 

 nomena being so constantly combined together, and occurring in a 

 regular train of succession, a strong presumption arises that there 

 is one common cause of the whole. In some cases indeed , per- 

 haps in all, the cause may be of a compound nature ; and it is 

 certainly true, that of the many phenomena commonly enume- 

 rated, several may depend upon accidental causes concurring 

 with the common cause of fever. But we must first take the 

 matter upon the most simple footing, and must not embarrass 

 ourselves with the supposition of a compound cause ; we must 

 find out a common and simple cause of those phenomena that 

 are most commonly combined together ; so it is proper to at- 

 tend here merely to the Symptomata morbi, leaving out what 

 are called the Symptomata causae, and the Symptomata acci- 

 dentalia." 



XXXIV. As the hot stage of fever is so constantly preced- 

 ed by a cold stage, we presume that the latter is the cause of 

 the former ; and, therefore, that the cause of the cold stage 

 is the cause of all that follows in the course of the paroxysm. 

 (See Boerh. Aph. 756.) 



" It is at present nearly agreed, that the frequency of the pulse 

 must follow a cold fit in order to constitute a fever. Sauvages has 

 founded his character entirely upon this opinion ; but it is Dr. 



