GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON PUERPERAL FEVER. 547 
ance demands ; but even although accompanied with purgatives 
and clysters, these will not be found enough unless the lancet be 
freely employed. 
It has been often stated as a great objection to bleeding, that 
this disease is one of debility . Notwithstanding this assertion, 
which I partly admit, and which sometimes happens, I must 
state, that inflammatory fever may be doing its worst, even with 
all this debility ; and when such inflammatory action arises, 
under such circumstances, it is, of all others, the most dangerous, 
and the quickest in its progress through its different stages. 
That there is generally greatly increased action in puerperal 
fever no one, so far as I know, has had the hardihood to deny ; 
and if this be admitted, are stimulants to be the means adopted 
for reducing it? Will common sense justify such conduct, or 
common honesty allow it ? Could we expect to cure this inflamma- 
tory affection by stimulants, in the vain hope that it would subside, 
while the system was under their influence ? Wherever stimu- 
lants are employed in this disease, and where bleeding and pur- 
gatives are omitted, I am perfectly convinced that death will be 
the consequence. The experience of others justifies this remark. 
It is, perhaps, true enough, that many animals have been bled 
to death in every inflammatory disease which can be mentioned ; 
and I have little doubt that the same melancholy result has hap- 
pened often enough in puerperal fever, where, for instance, both 
jugulars have been opened at once (for despatch), without having 
consulted the pulse to ascertain whether or not bleeding was 
required at all. Surely, however, that can never be adduced as 
a fault in the remedy which is nothing more than an error in the 
application ; and if this error should occasionally happen, yet 
it must be allowed, that greater mischief has been done from not 
using the lancet, than from an imprudent and rash use of it. 
The fault of bleeding to excess, or of not bleeding at all, lies 
entirely with the person who attends the case ; and if, as unfor- 
tunately it too often happens, the animal should die, the practi- 
tioner calls it “ a stubborn malignant disease and, affirming that 
it had assumed a typhoid character, he asks, “ How was it possible 
to effect a cure V* 
This is the common-place humbug with which he consoles the 
poor owner; but such practice as this will soon cure itself ; it 
cannot remain long without being detected. To blame the dis- 
ease, forsooth ! as being untractable, instead of blaming his own 
ignorance, carelessness, or stupidity, or all put together. 
Bleeding has often been termed by Professor Dick “ the 
sheet anchor in all inflammatory affections but, simple in itself 
though the operation be, what other can I mention which is of so 
