Observations on the causes and cure of remitting or bilious fevers : to which is annexed, an abstract of the opinions and practice of different authors ; and an appendix, exhibiting facts and reflections relative to the synochus icteroides, or yellow fever / by William Currie, Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, &c.

  • William Currie
Date:
1798
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the causes and cure of remitting or bilious fevers : to which is annexed, an abstract of the opinions and practice of different authors ; and an appendix, exhibiting facts and reflections relative to the synochus icteroides, or yellow fever / by William Currie, Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    ncli^hbourhood of a dwelling houfc. The dung of donic/lic animals, during its progrefs towards manure, may be excepted from this dircclim. Nature which made man and thefc an'imah equally ncceflary to each others fubfiftencc, has kindly prevented any inconve- nience from their living together. On the contrary, to repay the hufljandman for affording fhelter to thefe ufcfid and bclplcfs animals; nature has done more: Slie has endowed their dung with a power of deftroy- ing the effects of marfh exhalations, and of preventing fevers. The mifcrable cottagers in Europe who live under the fame roof, and in fome inftaiices in the fame room with their cattle are always healthy.* In Phila- delphia, fevers are lefs known in the neighbourhood of livery (tables, than in any other part of the city. 1 could mention a tamily that has lived near thirty years near a livery ftable, in a fickly part of the city, that has never known a fever but from the fmall pox or meafles. Dr. Zimmerman has indeed faid, that the efiluvia from a little heap of flax has been known to occafion a malignant fever, which proved fatal to the family in which it began, and afterwards fpread its contagion through a whole country. liut it does not appear from this paragraph, whether lie meant that the exha- lation from the flax, or the fever from the family fpread its contagion through a whole country. This can only be determined by reference to the original, which I. have not had an opportunity of examinin^r, and it is feldom that a tranflation conveys the precife meaning of the author. He has not mentioned whether the difeafc, which he fays was occafioned by the exhala- tions from the putrid flax, attacked a number at the fame time, or in fucceffion, as they came within the fphere of contagion, that is within fix or eight feet of the patient, for it has been afcertained by Dr. Haygath of Cheiler, that even the contagion of the fmall pox is D innoxious Is tills owing to t]ic tiling of thole iMiiinnU, nr to the purity •f the air from other Ibiirces, counteracting or dcrtroying the pu- trdccnt qunlitv of thcfo c:;habt:nn^ ?