Injh/mmation and Fever. \ 5 



suppuration, gangrene is associated with a micrococcous 

 growth. The dead mass remains as an irritant, and is 

 slowly separated by the formation around it of embryonal 

 tissue, granulations and pus. A second form is molecular 

 gangrene, in which the cells and minute elements of the tis- 

 sue die, and are cast off, leading to phagedenic (eating, ex- 

 tending) sores, as noted above under Ulceration. "When 

 gangrene occurs on an exposed surface, that may be altered 

 from the normal color into shades of yellow, brown, green, 

 red, or black, according to the amount of blood and the 

 stage of decomposition, and may be cut without pain, if the 

 subjacent pai-ts are not pressed upon ; it may be soft, may 

 pit on pressure, may crackle under the hand from the 

 evolved gases of decomposition, and may be covered with 

 blisters {jphlycteru^ with red, grumous liquid contents {vnoist 

 gangrend) ; again, it may be white, as after freezing, or it 

 may be dark-colored, dry, and horny, as from ergotism {dry 

 gangrene), 



FEVEE. 



Dejmition. WJiether occurring as an accompaniment 

 of injlammation or independently of it, fever is an un- 

 natural elevation of the temperature of the iody, the direct 

 result of an excess of destructive chemical change in the 

 blood and tissues, and more remotely of disordered ner- 

 vous function. 



Of all extensive inflammations fever is the constant result 

 and accompaniment, rising as the inflammation rises or ex- 

 tends, and subsiding as the inflammation subsides. It also 

 occurs as a distinct affection, as in all the infectious diseases, 

 as the result of a specific irritating poison in the system, 

 and then is the manifestation of the disease, while a local 

 inflammation may or may not be present as a special sec- 

 ondary feature of the malady or as an accidental complica- 

 tion. 



