Essay on the Remittent and Intermittent Diseases. 345 



abled for a week or more to see him daily. He was then in a state 

 of melancholy fatuity, rather than proper mania— the inflammation 

 continued with occasional head ache, apparendy of great severity, 

 and still periodical, though the state of the intellect prevented any 

 very accurate information. What was done in the lunatic hospital I 

 could never discover, but in about two months he died, as I under- 

 stood from his wife, with his eye still in the same condition. 



It seems probable that the condition of the brain and nervous sys- 

 tem from the effect of Malaria, induces an undue action, and a pain- 

 ful sensitiveness, upon the whole circulating system, which is fever, 

 and which is in some degree analogous to the action of a diseased 

 (neuralgia) nerve in producing the specific inflammation belonging to 

 this class of diseases. Under this fundamental derangement of the 

 master part of the machinery, to which all the others are inherently 

 subordinate ; any morbid condition of those parts is secondary though 

 implicated with it; and whether coexistent with the febrile action, or 

 supervening upon it, these secondary disorders become identical with 

 the deranged or troubled state of the moving power. With the ag- 

 itation or fever there is a loss of the nervous energy, and so inter- 

 woven and so mutually dependent are all the parts of the animated 

 structure so harmoniously and curiously blended, that every part sym- 

 pathizes with every other. If then the nervous power is diminished 

 and a series of pains and agitations ensues, the pernicious effect of 

 debilitating treatment is obvious ; increasing the disorder it designs 

 to cure J opening new avenues in the enfeebled system for the ac- 

 cession of other and greater derangements ; not unfrequently termin- 

 ating in those awful results appalling to the stoutest heart, and from 

 which there is no escape but through the final agony of death. 



The cause of the periodical phenomena has hitherto eluded the 

 most inquisitive scrutiny. It seems to be a compliance on the part 

 of the nervous system with a mysterious routine, regulated by an 

 arithmetical ratio ; but why twelve, or its multiples or submultiples 

 should be the rule in preference to any other number, is a secret 

 which the most sagacious enquirer has been unable to penetrate. 

 The fact, that punctured and otherwise injured nerves are periodically 

 affected when fever is not frequent, suggests the probability that the 

 cause is to be sought for in some of the occult faculties of the ner- 

 vous system. 



The prosecution of this enquiry discloses a claim which society 

 has upon landed proprietors to unite in the necessaiy exertions, to 



Vol. XVIIL— No. 2. ^4 



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