A new inquiry into the causes, symptoms, and cure, of putrid and inflammatory fevers : with an appendix on the hectic fever, and on the ulcerated and malignant sore throat. ... / By William Fordyce.

  • William Fordyce
Date:
1777
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new inquiry into the causes, symptoms, and cure, of putrid and inflammatory fevers : with an appendix on the hectic fever, and on the ulcerated and malignant sore throat. ... / By William Fordyce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that great eaters were often purged as if they had taken phyfic* that fome foods proved phyficj but that habit caufed their tendency to be overlooked till the patient was frequently difturbed, or difeafes were brought on; and that, if purging medicines were given in ftrong fevers before the difeafe remitted, or till towards the end of it, the heat was increafed, the purging effed did not take place* or perhaps a jaundice was produced, or fuch a loathing of every thing as ended in death. For thefe reafons they were afraid of purging ftrongly in fevers, efpecially during the dog-days, giving infte'ad of it glyfters, which they found always fafe, where they found them necelfary. The Parent of Medicine had obferved all this, and was befides particularly attentive to the nature of the difeafe, that he might find out whether one fort of humour was to be carried off or another, as the one or the other appeared to be in fault. Hence the different names of Phlegm agogue,Hydragogue,Cholagogue, Melanogogue, as pituite, water, gall, or black gall, was carried off. He believed at the fame time, that the medicine was not without effefl on the other humours] and where this attention was paid, or omitted, the cure fucceeded, or otherwife. On the whole it was believed, that certain deter¬ mined humours were afted on by particular purges. Such were the ideas of elective attraction, enter¬ tained by the ancient phyficians! Neverthelefs, there v/ere thofe among them who fuppofed the whole