FEVERS, 665 



opening the excretories of the abdominal viscera in intermit- 

 tent fevers ; and, as the congestions take place more or less 

 in every fever, it is very necessary to keep the belly open, 

 and to take off these by glysters of one kind or other in the 

 manner Sir John Pringle proposes, only giving one, or perhaps 

 two, for one day. In short, with respect to purging the con- 

 clusion is, that the state of the bowels is constantly to be at- 

 tended to, and that the drying up of their excretories must al- 

 ways have a bad effect ; and I find that there is not a more 

 convenient practice, than to keep the bowels in their proper con- 

 dition by the use of warm water glysters alone, thrown in in con- 

 siderable quantity, without the danger of any stimulus. But 

 large purging, from one means or other, I have found of bad 

 effect. 



" Now, it is necessary for me to take our cases even in parts, 

 as they lead to questions with respect to particular remedies. 

 I have not mentioned all those which may be employed in the 

 very cases I have been describing ; let us go back therefore to 

 the cases of the second day (III. 1.). After the antiphlogistic 

 regimen is established, and full vomiting employed ; after the 

 bowels have been opened by glysters, and the evacuations by 

 venesection are determined for the time, but the fever continues; 

 then we say, what are the remedies necessary to render the 

 course of the fever safe, or, if you will, to take it off entirely ? 

 They are such, I think, as have a power of taking off the spasm 

 by which the fever subsists ; and the chief of these is the em- 

 ployment of emetics, such as the James's powder, or Emetic 

 Tartar, especially the last, in a particular manner ; this is the 

 practice, which we know much the best, and can direct with 

 most steadiness. It is, I think, the most important of the 

 remedies lately introduced into practice. While the other rem- 

 edies we have been speaking of are intended to obviate other cir- 

 cumstances, and to moderate particular excesses, this may be 

 considered as the most direct remedy in fever. During the first 

 days, accordingly, and even during the whole of the first week 

 of the fever, Emetic Tartar is to be employed with the effect 

 of moderate vomiting, or rather not with vomiting ; at least it 

 is not to be encouraged by the drinking of warm water, and, if 

 it is thus properly directed, it will operate more or less by stool ; 

 VOL. I. 3 A 



