518 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



if we may trust to our conclusions with respect to the proximate 

 cause, it follows most naturally, from the view there given, 

 that the continued fever is always owing to an excess of spasm, 

 or to an excess of debility : as the one or other of these prevails, 

 it will give one or other of the two forms, either the Synocha or 

 inflammatory fever, or the Typhus or nervous fever. And the 

 other genus, which can be marked, but of the propriety of 

 which I have some doubts, is that which I have given under 

 the title of Synochus, which is a fever where the inflammatory 

 and nervous symptoms are intermixed, the inflammatory oc- 

 curring first, and the nervous last. We neglect the considera- 

 tion of this last genus at present, as it depends upon that of the 

 two first. 



" With respect to Synocha and Typhus, you will perceive 

 that the characters are industriously contrasted, and must be 

 constantly had in view together ; for neither of them will be 

 fully understood without attending to this opposition. I say the 

 character of Synocha will be best understood when we review 

 the other character of Typhus. I have rejected here c morbus 

 contagiosus, 1 for the proper synocha is probably without conta- 

 gion, and is owing to cold and other external causes ; but as it is 

 dangerous to employ negative propositions, I have not said, 'mor- 

 bus non contagiosus. 1 In the character of typhus, on the other 

 hand, I have said, ' morbus contagiosus, 1 because contagion is 

 for the most clearly observed in it. We sometimes indeed see 

 a nervous or petechial fever in an individual, and the rest of the 

 family not contract it. But this I impute to the ventilation 

 and cleanness of the houses, and perhaps to some other circum- 

 stances. 



" The opposition of the two characters further appears in the 

 circumstances of the heart and pulse. In synocha, 6 pulsus fre- 

 quens, validus et durus, 1 this is more constantly the case ; but in 

 the typhus we can only say, ' plerumque frequens,"* for there 

 are cases in which the pulse < parum a naturali recedit :" these 

 instances, however, are rare, and commonly it is frequent even 

 to a greater degree than in the synocha. In the character of 

 synocha I have added the state of the urine, because it holds 

 universally ; but in the typhus it is by no means so steady. 

 Most commonly it keeps its natural colour ; sometimes it 



