508 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



or less observable, some fevers have been farther distinguished 

 as Remittent, which, in practical writers, have formed a third 

 section. Authors have, however, for the most part applied the 

 term Continued in the same manner as I do, to those fevers in 

 which the alternate state is observable, but less so ; but to those 

 fevers in which the remission is very considerable and evident, 

 they have given the name of Remittent, and so they have made 

 the meaning of the term Continued less comprehensive. But 

 let us see what these multiplied distinctions have further led to. 

 There are certain fevers in which these remissions are very dif- 

 ficultly observed, and from this, I .suppose, physicians have 

 conceived that there are fevers Consisting of one paroxysm 

 of several days 1 duration, or that there is a kind of fever which 

 continues in th'e same state during its whole course ; and to 

 such a fever they have given the name of Continent, suppos- 

 ing that but one hot fit, or that only one reaction takes place 

 through the whole course of the fever. Now, whether there is 

 any such fever as this Continent in the language of the schools, 

 may be disputed ; and, as the question is of great consequence, 

 and its determination will have a great influence on the doctrine 

 I am delivering, I propose to consider it more particularly." 



LIII. To ascertain the difference of fevers, I think it neces- 

 sary to observe, in the first place, that every fever of more than 

 one day's duration consists of repeated, and, in some measure, 

 separate paroxysms ; and that the difference of fevers taken 

 notice of above (from XXV. to XXX.) appears to consist in 

 the different state of paroxysms, and in the different circum- 

 stances of their repetition. 



LIV. That fevers generally consist of distinct, and, in some 

 measure separately repeated paroxysms, I have alleged above 

 to be a matter of fact ; but I shall here endeavour to confirm 

 it, by assigning the cause. 



LV. In every fever in which we can distinctly observe any 

 number of separate paroxysms, we constantly find that each 

 paroxysm is finished in less than twenty-four hours ; but as I 

 cannot perceive any thing in the cause of fevers determining to 

 this, I must presume it to depend on some general law of the 

 animal economy. Such a law seems to be that which subjects 

 the economy, in many respects, to a diurnal revolution. Whether 



