Reflections on fever : and particularly on the inflammatory character of fever / by Lyman Spalding, M.D.

  • Lyman Spalding
Date:
1817 [i.e. 1818]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reflections on fever : and particularly on the inflammatory character of fever / by Lyman Spalding, M.D. 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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    circulating system that existed in the first stage of the fever. It scarcely need be said, that the secretions and exhalations are from the blood. Perhaps the very great diminution of the life of the muscular structure, which existed previously, prevents the ready action of the muscular membrane of the intestines. 8. And there is a quickness, with a fulness, and hard' ness in the pulse, not much affected by any pressure, made on the artery. The seat of this symptom is, the heart and arteries ; the proximate cause, morbidly increased action. 9. Its pulsations are from 90 to 130 in a minute. This symptom ought to have been connected with the last. It has the same seat and proximate cause. 10. And when blood is drawn, it exhibits ayellowishor buffy crust on its surface* In our reflections on the blood* we think we have fully proved, that all the changes in the blood take place within the circulating system; and that the yellowish or buffy crust is produced by the morbidly increased ac- tion of the heart and arteries ; particularly, by the mus- cular structure of the ventricles. Then we shall assign the heart and arteries as the seat of this symptom ; and their morbidly increased action, as its proximate cause. III. The third suit of symptoms in the stage of morbid- ly increased action. [1] If the febrile symptoms run very high, and proper means are not used at an early period, stupor and delirium come on at a more advanced stage ; [2] the imagination becomes much disturbed and hurried. [3] and the patient raves violently. This suit is composed of three distinct symptoms. 1. If the febrile symptoms run very high, and proper means are not used at an early period, stupor and delirium come on at a more advanced stage. Stupor and delirium have their seat in the brain. On reference to the functions and actions of the brain, we find that stupor and delirium will arise from a long con* * Contained in the Institutes and Practice of Medicine, not yet published.
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