SPASMODIC AFFECTIONS. 457 



generally from one month to three ; but sometimes much longer, 

 and that with very various circumstances. 



MCCCCVI. The fits of coughing return at various intervals, 

 rarely observing any exact period. They happen frequently in 

 the course of the day, and more frequently still in the course of 

 the night. The patient has commonly some warning of their 

 coming on ; and, to avoid that violent and painful concussion 

 which the coughing gives to the whole body, he clings fast to 

 any thing that is near to him, or demands to be held fast by any 

 person that he can come at. 



When the fit is over, the patient sometimes breathes fast, and 

 seems fatigued for a little after ; but in many this appears 

 very little, and children are commonly so entirely relieved, that 

 they immediately return to their play, or what else they were 

 occupied in before. 



MCCCCVII. If it happens that the fit of coughing ends in 

 vomiting up the contents of the stomach, the patient is common- 

 ly immediately after seized with a strong craving and demand 

 for food, and takes it in very greedily. 



MCCCCVIIL At the first coming on of this disease, the ex- 

 pectoration is sometimes none at all, or of a thin mucus only ; 

 and, while this continues to be the case, the fits of coughing are 

 more violent and continue longer : but commonly the expector- 

 ation soon becomes considerable, and a very thick mucus, often 

 in great quantity, is thrown up, and as this is more readily 

 brought up, the fits of coughing are of shorter duration. 



MCCCCIX. The violent fits of coughing frequently inter- 

 rupt the free transmission of the blood through the lungs, and 

 thereby the free return of blood from the vessels of the head. 

 This occasions that turgescence and suffusion of face which 

 commonly attends the fits of coughing, and seems to occasion 

 also those eruptions of blood from the nose, and even from the 

 eyes and ears, which sometimes happen in this disease. " But. 

 these haemorrhagies are seldom of any mischievous consequence : 

 very often some degree of blooding from the nose promises a 

 very quick relief or remission of the disease." 



MCCCCX. This disease often takes place in the manner we 

 have now described, without any pyrexia attending it ; but, 

 though Sydenham had seldom observed it, we have found the 



