COLD APPLICATIONS VS. COUNTER-IRRITATION. 735 
_ - _ ' _J 
In this paper I do not intend to consider the action of 
antipyretics internally, such as quinine, antipyrin, antifebrin 
or salicylate of soda, further than to say that they by lowering 
the temperature are of the greatest benefit in fevered patients, 
and I believe would act harmoniously with the external ap¬ 
plication. In Germany particularly do we now find patients 
suffering from typhoid fever and pyrexias of all descriptions 
being treated with the “cold pack,” as it is termed, and with 
manifest success. By actual experiment Dr. Sassatsky of St. 
Petersburg found cold water treatment far more antipyretic 
than either quinine or salicylate of soda. They all diminished 
the elimination of nitrogen by all the excretory channels, but 
the cold water most of any. 
In cases of sunstroke, those of us who have met with such 
cases know the great benefit derived from cold water. By this 
means I have reduced the temperature of a horse from 1085° F. 
to ioi° in five hours. True, some one may raise the objection 
that the causes for rise of temperature in this case are entirely 
different from what has raised the temperature in pneumonia, 
but, as before mentioned, the result is the same, and knowing 
as we do the quickness with which a high fever wears out the 
animal’s system, let us forget the cause and get rid of the ex¬ 
isting condition. 
In speaking of pneumonia and its causes I have not made 
mention of the bacilli pneumococci said to be found in lung 
troubles. My not having mentioned this before is not due to 
any unbelief of mine of their existence ; I certainly think they 
are to be found in many instances, particularly I would say 
where the pneumonia is a sequence of some disease, such as 
influenza. At the present da} 7 great investigations are going 
on concerning the microbic origin of disease, some putting 
down all diseases as being due to the microbe or germ that 
has gained admission into the system. I believe this is essen¬ 
tially true of a great many diseases, but I just as sincerely 
believe there are other diseases, particularly those in which 
congestions first appear, that owe their existence entirely to a 
nervous origin, and it is under this head I class the pneumonia 
heretofore mentioned. It is quite possible that after the com 
