INFLAMMATIONS. 8? 



CCCCXXXIX. to CCCCXLVIII. the disease often con- 

 tinues for several weeks. It seldom, however, proves fatal ; and 

 it rarely happens that the pyrexia continues to be considerable 

 for more than two or three weeks. While the pyrexia abates in 

 its violence, if the pains of the joints continue, they are less 

 violent, more limited in their place, being confined commonly to 

 one or a few joints only, and are less ready to change their place. 



CCCCL. When the pyrexia attending rheumatism has en- 

 tirely ceased ; when the swelling, and particularly the redness 

 of the joints, are entirely gone ; but when pains still continue 

 to affect certain joints, which remain stiff, which feel uneasy up- 

 on motion, or upon changes of weather, the disease is named the 

 Chronic Rheumatism, as it very often continues for a long time. 

 As the chronic is commonly the sequel of the acute rheumatism, 

 I think it proper to treat of the former also in this place. 



CCCCL I. The limits between the acute and chronic rheu- 

 matism are not always exactly marked. 



When the pains are still ready to shift their place, when 

 they are especially severe in the night time, when, at the same 

 time, they are attended with some degree of pyrexia, and with 

 some swelling, and especially with some redness of the joints, 

 the disease is to be considered as still partaking the nature of 

 the acute rheumatism. 



But, when there is no degree of pyrexia remaining, when 

 the pained joints are without redness, when they are cold and 

 stiff, when they cannot easily be made to sweat, or when, 

 while a free and warm sweat is brought out on the body, it is 

 only clammy and cold on the pained joints ; and when, especi- 

 ally, the pains of these joints are increased by cold, and reliev- 

 ed by heat applied to them, the case is to be considered as that 

 of a purely chronic rheumatism. 



CCCCLII. The chronic rheumatism may affect different 

 joints ; but is especially ready to affect those joints which are 

 surrounded with many muscles, and those of which the mus- 

 cles are employed in the most constant and vigorous exertions. 

 Such is the case of the vertebras of the loins, the affection of 

 which is named Lumbago ; or that of the hip-joint, when the 

 disease is named Ischias or Sciatica. 



" The partial rheumatism is most frequent in the hip- 



