Chap. IX. Of Intermit t'mg Fevers. 45 



Now all thofe things that can any Ways <^, ^ ^ 

 weaken and deftroy the natural Tone of tlie j T. l"!'/-^ "^ 



c- , ^ ,-, . • T intermitting 



btomach, may very readily bring on inter- Fervc-s. 

 mittmg Fevers ; and therefore they are often- 

 times the EfFeifl: of ibme Fever, Surfeit, or Cold, taken in 

 low marfliy Grounds, which have never been clearly car- 

 ried off, but by their long Continuance have left a Debi- 

 lity and Weaknefs behind them ; the eating Herbs that are 

 of a cold vifcid Nature, and which grow plentifully in 

 fome Seafons, may alio give Origin to Intermitting Dif- 

 tempers. But nothing contributes more to the bringing 

 on of fuch Diforders, than an unskilful and frequent U]e 

 of Phyfick ; for as the Stomach is ufually the lirft Scene of 

 Adion for all fuch Things, it is eafy enough to conceive 

 how the Tone of its Fibres may be relaxed or broke, fo as 

 to render it unfit to perform Digeftion as it ought to do ; 

 and therefore as the Aliment is net fufficiently comminuted 

 in the Stomach, a great deal of its grofs and vifcid Parts 

 muft be tranfmitted into the Mafs of Blood, and there- 

 by retard its Motion in the imall Veflels ot the Extre- 

 mities. 



The Signs are firft a Coldnefs, withTrem- ^'^-'^ Signs. 

 bling, accompanied with a Debility and Laf- 

 fitude, which is fucceeded by an extreme Heat and Drought, 

 that fuddenly terminates in a plentiful Sweat, and as foon 

 as that is over, the Horfe will feed, and appear as if he 

 was quite recover'd, until another Fit overtakes him. 



But in order to the Cure, it will be neceilary to remem- 

 ber, that the Blood, in all Intermitting Fevers, is render'd 

 thick and vifcid ; and therefore to bring the Dillemper to 

 a Solution, it is neceilary that thofe Vifcidities (hould be 

 broke, and this happens during the hot Fit, fo that a great 

 deal of that Lentor is thrown off in Sweat : But becaufe 

 the Stomach continues ftiU in its weak and debilitated Con- 

 dition, there is therefore a conflant Supply ot frefli Vifci- 

 dity communicated to the Blood, for which Reafon the 

 Difeafe returns. Bat if there be no Alteration in the Habit 

 of the Body, the Difeafe will be apt to return at certain 

 Times, and the Intervals between the P^r^^'Z/wj', or Fits, 

 will be equal ; becaufe while we fuppofe near the fame 

 Qi_iantity of the common and ufual Food to be eat, and 

 that there is the fame Capacity of Digeftion left in the 

 Stomach ; moreover, that all the common Diicharges 

 are the flime, or near the fame, in any given Space, vi%. 



in 



