If the paroxysms increase in violence, occur earlier, and become much
stronger; if they invade on the third day; and if symptoms of concoction
appear in the urine, alvine discharges, and sputa, the disease will
certainly soon come to a crisis. If the attack is slow, and if the
paroxysms occur at the same hour every day, you may expect that the
crisis will not take place till after a longer time. And those fevers
which make their attack with rigors cannot terminate until the rigor
abate; for until that occur it is impossible for the disease to have
attained its acme, and therefore much less is it reasonable to expect
that it is upon the decline.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. This Section is copied from Oribasius. (Synops. vi, 3.) The
subject is fully treated of by Galen (de Crisibus.) Rhases describes very
accurately the symptoms of an approaching crisis, such as, confusion of
the understanding, vertigo, headach, inquietude, involuntary flow of
tears, pain of the stomach, &c. He warns the inexperienced not to be
alarmed at the violence of the precursory symptoms. (x, 26.) Avicenna,
Averrhoes, Haly Abbas, and Alsaharavius, though they treat of the subject
very fully, supply no original views.
See an ample account of the ancient opinions in Prosper Alpinus. (De
Præs. Vita et Morte ægrot. vi.)