164 DISEASES CLASS It. 1.2. 1. 



flammatory fever. Phlegmasia. A strong full pulse, with in- 

 flammation -of the coats of the arteries, constitutes this disease. 

 It originates from some topical inflammation., which, if the fever 

 is not subdued, terminates in suppuration; and differs from irri- 

 tative fever in respect to the painful sensation which accompa- 

 nies it. For as pleasurable sensation is the cause of the growth 

 of the new vessels and distention of the old ones, in the natu- 

 ral enlargement of the body during our infancy; so a painful sen- 

 sation is the cause of the unnatural production of new vessels, 

 and enlargement of old ones in inflammatory diseases. 



When matter is thus formed in any internal viscus, or in the 

 cellular membrane, as in the lungs or liver; so long as this ab- 

 scess remains without admission of air, this inflammatory fever 

 is liable to continue, receiving only temporary relief by bleeding 

 or emetics, or cathartics; till the patient, after a month, or two, 

 or three, expires. But if the air be admitted to these internal ab- 

 scesses, this kind of fever is changed into a hectic fever in a single 

 day. It also sometimes happens, that when the abscess remains 

 unopened to the air, if the matter has become putrid, hectic fever 

 supervenes, with colliquative sweats, or diarrhoea; the matter in 

 both cases is sometimes absorbed, and the sides of the abscess 

 grow together again without an external aperture. See Class 

 II. 1. 4. 1. and 2. Another termination of inflammation is in 

 gangrene^ but this belongs to the inflammation of the external 

 skin; as the production of purulent matter belongs to inflamma- 

 tion of the internal or mucous membranes. Thus when the ex- 

 ternal skin is the seat of inflammation, as in erythema, or erysi- 

 pelas, and produces sensitive irritated fever, no collection of pu- 

 rulent matter can be formed; but a material oozes out, and lies 

 upon the surface, like that in the confluent small-pox, and the 

 cuticle at length peels off, or gangrene supervenes. It must be 

 noted, that these kinds of inflammation can exist together; and 

 some parts of the cellular membrane may suppurate at the same 

 time that the external skin is affected with erythema, or erysi- 

 pelas. 



M. M. Venesection. Cathartics. Diluents. Cool air. 

 Torpentia. Cold bath? See Sect. XII. 6. 



The increased arterial action in this sensitive irritated fever is 

 not simply owing to the increased irritability of the arterial sys- 

 tem, or to the stimulus of the distention of the vessels, but also 

 to the increased acrimony or pungency of the blood; which 

 has now so far changed its nature as to become more fluid > 

 more dense, and to be loaded with coagulable lymph. Hence 

 it becomes necessary not only to lessen the quantity of blood 

 by venesection and by cathartics, but also to dilute its acrimony. 



