It sometimes happens that these patients, § XXII. are seized with a
fever, it begins with great cold, sometimes even with a chattering of
the teeth, which lasts half an hour, an hour, or sometimes longer, and
is succeeded by a gentle heat, which terminates in about three or four
hours, in a moderate sweat. The interval lasts two or three hours, at
the expiration of which the fit returns; sometimes it is accompanied
with a diarrhœa.
The most common causes of these fevers, are either in the first place,
a bad digestion when a person has taken too much food, or the food is
greasy, indigestible, and subject to putrefaction; or, secondly, a
reabsorption of purulent matter, which taints and inflames the blood;
or, thirdly, a bad air, such as is very often that of an hospital,
notwithstanding all the precautions that can be taken.
It is of consequence immediately to stop this fever, lest it should
dissolve and corrupt the blood, and become a putrid fever: If it is
not accompanied with a diarrhœa, a vomit of ipecacuan may be given,
joined with a few grains of rhubarb: If there is a looseness, the same
medicine may be repeated the following morning, and even sometimes the
third day. Through the day may be given a little of the strengthening
elixir described in the preceding section; and in the evening, when
the patient has had a vomit in the morning, half a dram or two scruples
of the following anodyne powder may be administered; _Virginian
snakeroot, zedoary, of an eleosaccharum made with the essential oil
of fennel, of each two scruples; calcined hartshorn, sixteen grains;
cynogloss pills, four and twenty grains_. Afterwards I gave every day
some of the strengthening elixir, a compounded powder of the bark, and
a strengthening decoction. The powder consists of _two drams of bark,
one dram of sal ammoniac, and a dram of an eleosaccharum, made with
the essential oil of fennel_. The ingredients for the strengthening
decoction are as follow: _The herbs of fluellin, baum and yarrow, of
each half an ounce; of that of mint, two drams; chamomile flowers,
an ounce; those of red poppy, half an ounce; orange peel, two drams;
shavings of sassafras, cassia lignea, carvy seed, of each a dram; bark,
four ounces; and Virginian snakeroot, one ounce_. These ingredients
must be properly cut small, bruised and mixed together. By the above
medicines the fever is commonly relieved[23].