_Of Intermitting fevers, and Agues_.
There is scarce a disease that makes a patient more wretched, and
unhappy, than the fever and ague. The causes of these kind of fevers is
principally from a pituitous, or slimy blood, together with its being
loaded with acrimony; and a flacidity of the moving fibres.
They are divided into various classes; though in fact all of one nature.
When the ague with its succeeding fever comes on regularly every day, it
is called _quotidian_, or every day’s ague; when every second day,
_tertian_, or third day’s ague, and when every third day; a _quartan_,
or fourth day’s ague. There are many other classes as subdivisions of
these, but they are the mere speculations of physical pedants, who are
ever sworn enemies to plain understanding, and delight in perplexities;
which therefore, we shall neither spend paper nor time upon to recount.
Suffice it, let their paroxysms return at what stated period of time
they will, either regularly or irregularly, they differ in nothing but
this, that the farther the fits are distanced, the severer they
generally are, when they come on; and the more regular, the more
obstinate in their cure; though in this even there are exceptions.
It is surprizing to imagine, how many different opinions have been sent
into the world concerning the returns of the periodical fits of the
ague; and equally astonishing, how few with any probability of truth or
reason.
I shall not here enter into an enquiry of this nature; certain it is,
that at the stated times of these returning fits of the ague, there is
an obstruction in some particular part of the system, that corresponds
with the dated time of the circulation of fluids in such parts—which
when disturbed, effects by the nervous consent, the whole animal
structure.
The principal intention in all intermitting fevers, should be to correct
the petuity and acrimony of the blood; to remove the obstructions; and
to strengthen the solids.
With respect to the blood, it is an inevitable consequence, that when it
is loaded with a vicidity and lentor, that it will ever occasion a
depraved nutrition; and hence we see, that people labouring under agues,
and intermittent fevers of any kind, have a depraved appetite, and many
disagreeablenesses in the first passages.
The intermittent fever and ague approach with the following symptoms,
viz. a heavy dull head-ach, a shivering chill all over the body, with a
yawning, &c. pain in all the limbs attended with weariness, a nausea at
the stomach, a depressed pulse; which after it has lasted for half an
hour, changes into a burning heat, a throbbing head-ach, pain in the
loins, and in every limb, a great draught, a _full hard pulse_, and
which at last terminates in a profuse sweat; this seems to give the
patient ease, for one, two, or three days; and then attacks the patient
with the same symptom, increasing every time, and reduces the patient
both in body and spirit.
The first thing to be done is to give a vomit, like No. XV. and XXVI.
This is best taken at the approach of the cold fit, and worked well off
with plenty of luke warm water. After the operation of the vomit is
over, let the patient take the following draught.