Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: An essay on the puerperal fever / by Thomas Denman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.
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![I [*S ] I may in this place be permitted to make a di- greflion for the purpofe of obferving, that it ap- pears from the records of medicine, that two dif- ferent opinions were very early entertained re- fpe&ing the treatment of Fevers in general. The firft and liioft prevalent of thefe was, that every fever was a procefs eftabliftied by the powers of the eonftitution, for the purpofe of altering and affi- milating, or of feparating and rejedting fome of- fending matter; or changing one (fate of the body into another, better fitted for the performance of its functions. The procefs was defined by the term generally, though riot properly tranflated. Fermen- tation, by which the ancients underflood the differ- ent (fates of bodies whilft they were in the adl of changing into feme new form or ftate, or the pro- cefs by Which they were changed. As this procefs in fevers was expected to be ultimately falutary, it could not, according to this opinion, be difturbed Without mifchief, unlefs on account of irregularity, or fome extraordinary deviation from its ufual courfe, it might be judged neceffary to moderate it when too violent, or to encourage it when too remifs. The fecond opinion was^ that in a fever excited by any caufe, the body was in a (fate ad- verfe to its wellbeing, and perhaps inconfiffent With life; and that the fever ought therefore to be fubdued by the expeditious ufe of all fuch means as Were likely to remove the caufe, or to appeafe the E adtion](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21515554_0031.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
