58 DISEASES CLASS II. 1. 6. 16, 



the greater debility, and consequent quicker pulse, and more 

 rapid progress of the former than the latter; but agree, in the few 

 patients which I have attended, in the circumstance of the 

 patients bearing the quantity of these fevers better than the 

 typhus, as is seen in their frequent rising from their beds for 

 hours, and even attending to their occupations with a pulse of 

 more than 120 in a minute; and also in another important cir- 

 cumstance, which is, that they take solid food, as bread, and 

 eggs, and oysters, and even chicken, in great quantities; which 

 in the inirritative fever, or typhus, is refused during the whole 

 course of the disease. And hence it seems probable, that the 

 cause or commencement of the inirritative fever, or typhus, may 

 have been from the torpor or paralysis of the stomach, owing to 

 the swallowing of contagious matter along with our saliva; and 

 the actions of the heart suffer in consequence from sympathy, 

 And that hence these three kinds of fever may be distinguished 

 from each other; the typhus, by the total loss of appetite for 

 solid food; the hectic fever, by the pulse being seldom above 

 120, and with attendant inflammation; and the puerperal fever, 

 by a quicker and weaker pulse; but both the latter existing 

 without the inability to take some solid nourishment. 



In this fever, time must be allowed for the absorption of the 

 matter. Very large and repeated quantities of the bark, by pre- 

 venting sufficient food from being taken, as bread, and wine, 

 and water, I have thought, have much injured the patient; for 

 the bark is not here given, as in intermittent fevers, to prevent 

 the paroxysm, but simply to strengthen the patient by increasing 

 the power of digestion. About two ounces of decoction of bark, 

 with four drops of laudanum, and a drachm of sweet spirits of 

 vitriol, once in six hours, and a glass of wine between those times, 

 with panada, or other food, I have thought of most advantage! 

 with a small blister occasionally. 



Where not only the stomach but also the bowels are much 

 distended with air, so as to sound on striking them with the fin- 

 gers, the case is always dangerous, generally hopeless; which 

 is more so in proportion to the quickness of the pulse. Where 

 the bowels are distended two drops of oil of cinnamon should 

 be given in the panada three or four times a day, with ten grains 

 of alum. 



In one case of puerperal fever, which lasted above forty days 5 

 and was attended for the last fortnight with perpetual subsultus 

 of the tendons, and even twitching of the hands with unceasing 

 delirium, and inability to sleep, musk given in the dose of ten 

 grains every six hours, with five drops of tincture of opium, 

 seemed to be of service; and when the abdomen became tumid 



