320 PllACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



MLXX. In the course of the disease, whether of a shorter 

 or longer duration, the matter voided by stool is very various. 

 Sometimes it is merely a mucous matter, without any blood, 

 exhibiting that disease which Dr. Rrederer has named the 

 Morbus mucosuSy and others the Dysenteria alba. For the 

 most part, however, the mucus discharged is more or less mixed 

 with blood. This sometimes appears only in streaks amongst 

 the mucus ; but at other times is more copious, tinging the 

 whole of the matter discharged ; and, upon some occasions, a 

 pure and unmixed blood is voided in considerable quantity. 

 In other respects, the matter voided is variously changed in 

 colour and consistence, and is commonly of a strong and un- 

 I usually fetid odour. It is probable that sometimes a genuine 

 pus is voided ; and frequently a putrid sanies, proceeding from 

 gangrenous parts. There are very often mixed with the 

 liquid matter some films of a membranous appearance, and 

 frequently some small masses of a seemingly sebaceous matter. 

 ML XXI. While the stools consisting of these various 

 matters are, in many instances, exceedingly frequent, it is 

 seldom that natural faeces appear in them ; and, when they do 

 appear, it is, as I have mentioned, in the form of scybala, that 

 is, in somewhat hardened, separate balls. When these are 

 voided, whether by the efforts of nature, or as solicitated by 

 art, they procure a remission of all the symptoms, and more 

 especially of the frequent stools, griping, and tenesmus. 



MLXXII. Accompanied with these circumstances, the 

 disease proceeds for a longer or a shorter time. When the 

 pyrexia attending it is of a violent inflammatory kind, and more 

 especially when it is of a very putrid nature, the disease often 

 terminates fatally in a very few days, with all the marks of a 

 supervening gangrene. When the febrile state is more moder- 

 ate, or disappears altogether, the disease is often protracted for 

 weeks, and even for months ; but, even then, after a various 

 duration, it often terminates fatally, and generally in conse- 

 quence of a return and considerable aggravation of the inflam- 

 matory and putrid states. In some cases, the disease ceases 

 spontaneously : the frequency of stools, the griping and tenes- 

 mus, gradually diminishing, while natural stools return. In 



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