Memoirs of Erasmus Darwin, M.D. 159 



that respect corresponds with other fevers with inirrita- 

 bility. 



The hydrocephalus interims is distinguished from apoplexy 

 by its being attended with fever, and from nervous fever by 

 the paroxysms being very irregular, with perfect intermis- 

 sions many times in a day. In nervous fever the pain of 

 the head generally affects the middle of the forehead ; in hy- 

 drocephalus intemus it is generally on one side of the head. 

 One of the earliest criterions is the patient being uneasy on. 

 raising his head from the pillow, and wishing to lie down 

 again immediately ; which I suppose is owing to the pres- 

 sure of the water on the larger trunks of the blood-vessels en- 

 tering the cavity being more intolerable than on the smaller 

 ones; for, if the larger trunks are compressed, it must in- 

 convenience the branches also; but if some of the small 

 branches are compressed only, the trunks are not so im- 

 mediately incommoded. 



Blisters on the head, and mercurial ointment externally, 

 with calomel internally, are principally recommended in this 

 fatal disease. When the patient cannot bear to be raised up 

 in bed without great uneasiness, it is a bad symptom. 

 So I believe is deafness, which is commonly mistaken fop 

 stupor. And when the dilatation of the pupil of either eye, 

 or the squinting, is very apparent, or the pupils of both eyes, 

 much dilated, it is generally fatal. As by stimulating 

 one branch of lymphatics into inverted motion, another 

 branch is liable to absorb its fluid more hastily ; suppose 

 strong errhines, as common tobacco snuff to children, or 

 one grain of turbith mineral, (hydrargyrus vitriolatus,) 

 mixed with ten or fifteen grains of sugar, was gradually 

 blown up the nostrils? I have tried common snuff upon 

 two children in this disease ; one could not be made to 

 gneeze, and the other was too- near death to receive advan- 

 tage. When the mercurial preparations have produced sali- 

 vation, I believe they may have been of service, but I doubt 

 their good effect otherwise. In one child I tried the tincture 

 of digitalis ; but it was given with too timid a hand, and 

 too late in the disease, to determine its effects. 



As all the above remedies generally fail of success, I think 



frequent^ 



