An essay on fevers : to which is now added, A dissertation on the malignant-ulcerous sore-throat / by John Huxham, M. D. fellow of the Royal College of Physicians at Edinburgh, and of the Royal Society at London.

John Huxham

Date:: [1785?]

Credit: An essay on fevers : to which is now added, A dissertation on the malignant-ulcerous sore-throat / by John Huxham, M. D. fellow of the Royal College of Physicians at Edinburgh, and of the Royal Society at London. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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$flammatory fever. A weak, quick, blood into a jelly, as is found by ex- foft pulfe, no great heat or colour, periencc. Hence, when blood is little thirft, pale urine, a foft flefli drawn off in high inflammatory and fkin, clammy, partial, irregu- fevers, it appears covered over with Jar, cold, or profufe fweats, with a thick glutinous coat, or buff, as it heavinefs and anxiety, rather than is called. I have feen it in fome fevers fcA'ere pains, and a moift, though pleuritic and rheumatic diforders perhaps a white-coated, or foul near an inch thick. That it is thus tongue, denote the contrary. But formed by the febrile heat, is mani- in truth, thefe things are rather to be feft ; for at the firft bleeding, at the learned from experience, than taught Vct)' beginning of the fever, it (hall by precept; therefore I ftiall fay no often appear pretty florid, though more on this head. very denfe ] whereas on the fecond, third, or fourth bleeding, when the ^ heat hath had a long continuance, and. C 'A P. IV. been encreafed to a greater degree, it becomes exceeding lizy, and covered Of the State of the Fluids. over with a very thick buff: and in-i deed, in general, the flronger the VfHE ftate of the fluids fliould next fg^.gr, and the perfon from whom it be confidered, which, in a great \^ drawn, fo much the more thick jneafure, depends, as we faid before, and tenacious. And-this in a parti- on the condition of the folids. cular manner happens in fevers at- There is then, il^, a ftate of the tended with violent pain, as pleurifies, blood in which the humors are too rheumatifms, &c. For the pain being denfe and vifeous, in which the aftimulus, which greatly encreafes the blood-globules are in too great quan- motion, friftion, and heat, it in- tity, and too clofely compafted or craflates the ferum in proportion to its condenfed, in which the ferous glo- vehemence. And the inflammatory bules are fo likewife; in a word, in glfo flicking in the extremely which the whole mafs of the fluids is {^^\ vefTels of the membranes, &c. too glutinous, and too apt to con- over-diftends them, and produces far- crete into a folid form.—Perfons of ther inflammations and pains; fo that rigorous conftitutions, of ftrong they mutually encreafe one the other, fibres, that ufe much exercife, and a Though this denfe ftate of blood, in full diet, are peculiarly fubjcft to health, is attended with great bodily this ftate.—Now when the blood- ftrength, a ftrong firm pulfe, and globules are very denfe, and in great much natural heat, yet, on the accefs quantity, and the vefiTels very ftrong a fever, it produces very violent and elafticr a ^reat momentum of fymptoms, quickly fatal, unlefs pr&. motion muft be produced in the cir- vented by timely bleeding, cooling, culating fluids, and of courfe great diluting, emollient drinks and medi- friftion, and mych lieat, which both cines. diflipates the more fluid parts of the gut farther, an-over-fulnefs of even blood, and encreaf^ts its vifcofity ; good blood, is a degree of difeafe, fo that the rcfidue becomes very glu- and therefore Hippocrates * pro- tinous, and Icfs fit to pafs the extreme nounces the athletic 'Eysli'a dange- branches of the capillary arteries; rous^ and Cclfus elegantly fays from and hence obftru^Uons, hence in- him, that perfons of fuch a habitfiif- flammations. peila habere bonaj'ua debt nt.\ Such a Befidcs, great heat tends to coagu- plethora not only over-diftends the fan- Jate the ferum; a heat, not much guineous arteries, but alfo too much above the common heat in an ardent * Aphorifofi 3. Scft. i. + Lib. II. fever, will turn the ferum of the cap. at oilatev$