2. Is rare among the wealthy, excepting doctors, students, and visiting clergymen.
3. Aries from over crowding, bad ventilation, and destitution; it spreads by contagion.
4. Comes on quickly.
5. The head is chiefly affected, and the bowels are often but little so.
6. The eruption is of a mulberry colour, comes out only once, and does not disappear under pressure.
7. Runs its course in about a fortnight.
8. Tends to death by coma (morbid drowsiness).
9. Is sometimes called brain fever.
12. Relapsing Fever (Febris Recidiva).
This disease sometimes called famine-fever, and in Germany Hunger-pest reappeared in England some years ago, after an absence of about fourteen years. In the latter part of 1870 it was very prevalent and fatal in Liverpool, Glasgow, and other places where overcrowding prevailed. In November, 1871, Relapsing-fever again made its appearance in Liverpool, and spread rapidly in the crowded and dirty parts of the town. In 1884 only twelve deaths occurred in England from this disease. It is contagious, and, as just intimated, visits chiefly, though not exclusively those who are poorly fed, live in crowded, ill- ventilated houses, and have but few comforts. It is less fatal than the fevers described in the two preceding Sections.
SYMPTOMS:
The seizure is sudden: there are rigors, headache, pains in the muscles and joints resembling those of Rheumatism; then follows a reaction, with high fever, and bilious symptoms; after which, in about a week from the commencement profuse perspiration ensues, and all bad symptoms disappear for a few days, when a relapse occurs, and so the disease may continue for sometime.
TREATMENT:
Dr. Kidd, who had much experience in treating the disease some years since in Ireland during the epidemic, found Bryonia most useful. Aconite, Gelsemium, Eup-Per., China., Podoph., etc., may be required; and Phosphorus or Acid phosphoricum. during convalescence.
Simple nourishment should be supplied at the patient’s pleasure: the measures pointed out in the paragraphs (pp. 73-82), should be carried out.
PROPHYLACTICS:
Camph. and Nux Vom.
13. Simple Fever (Febricula).
Simple fever is the mildest form in which a feverish attack occurs, and as it generally disappears in from twelve to thirty- six hours, it is termed an ephemeral disease.
SYMPTOMS:
A feverish attack usually commences in the afternoon or evening, with alternate chills and flushes, followed by heat and dryness of the skin; hard, full, quick pulse; dry coated tongue; thirst; hurried, anxious breathing; and highly-coloured and scanty urine. Also, often, pain in the loins, headache, deranged bowels, and loss of appetite. As these symptoms may be precursors of serious diseases, they require prompt attention.
CAUSES:
Suppressed perspiration, exposure to damp or cold, sudden changes of temperature, wearing damp clothes; poor or insufficient diet, injuries, internal or external; fatigue, etc.; or it may be a modified variety of one of the forms of fever described in the preceding Sections.
TREATMENT:
Aconitum is found to be the chief remedy for all such symptoms as these above indicated, when there is no toxaemia (blood- poisoning); and it will most effectually calm the arterial excitement; it has been termed the Homoeopathic Lancet. Perspiration following its administration is the welcome indication of its beneficial action. A dose every two or three hours, or, in urgent cases, every half-hour or hour, till perspiration breaks out, when this remedy may be discontinued.
Camphor. Sudden seizure of chilliness; shivering, with lassitude, and general indisposition which has come on rapidly. Two drops of the strong tincture on a small pieces of loaf-sugar, or tow or three pilules, repeated three times, at intervals of fifteen or twenty minutes may precede Aconitum, or it may be alone sufficient if taken promptly at the onset.
If the fever does not quickly yield to Aconite, a homoeopathic practitioner should be consulted.
ACCESSORY TREATMENT:
For ephemeral attacks, cold water is generally the only beverage required. If the attack continues a day or two, a milk diet should be adopted.
14. Ague Intermittent Fever
Intermittent fever is so named because the febrile symptoms return in paroxysms, between which they entirely pass off. It is not infectious.
SYMPTOMS:
A paroxysm of Ague has three stages the cold, the hot, and the perspiring. The first stage commences with chilliness and rigors, chattering of the teeth, aching of the back and limbs, oppression of the chest, yawning and sighing. The face and lips are pale, the features and skin contracted, the pulse frequent and small, the tongue white, and the urine scanty and frequently passed. In the second stage, flushings come on, until the entire body becomes hot, with thirst, bounding pulse, throbbing headache, and restlessness, the urine being still scanty but high-coloured. At length, the third or perspiring stage succeeds, and the patient feels much relieved. Thirst diminishes, the pulse declines in frequency, and the appetite returns; at the same time there is a red deposit of urates in the urine. A paroxysm usually lasts about six hours, allowing two hours for each stage. The period between the paroxysms, as already explained, is called the intermission; but by an interval is meant the whole period or cycle between the beginning of one paroxysm and the beginning of the next.
PATHOLOGY:
It is supposed that in the cold stage the blood leaves the surface and the capillaries, and accumulates about the right side of the heart, the large veins and great venous organs of the interior, such as the liver, spleen, and the bases of the lungs; in the hot stage, the heart reacts and throws out the blood again to the surface, but with too great force; in the sweating stage the secretions are re-established and the proper balance between the large and small blood-vessels is restored.
TYPES:
There are three chief types of Ague. 1st. The Quotidian, has a paroxysm daily, coming on in the morning from 7 to 9 a.m., and an internal of twenty-four hours. 2nd. The Tertian, has a paroxysm every other day, coming on from 10 to 12 o’clock at noon, and an interval of forty-eight hours. 3rd. The Quartan, has a paroxysms every third day, coming on from 2 to 4 p.m., and an interval of seventy-two hours. The tertian is the most frequent, and has the most marked hot stage; but the quartan is the most obstinate, and chiefly occurs in the autumn. There is still another type, in which, though there is an attack everyday, those only resemble each other which occur on alternate days.
EFFECTS:
From the recurrence of internal congestions in each cold stage, the functions of the liver and bowels become disordered, the patient is swallow, his limbs waste, but his abdomen is distended, and his bowels constipated. The spleen is especially liable to be enlarged, sometimes to a great extent, so as to be felt externally. This conditions is popularly called ague-cake.
CAUSES:
The exciting cause of ague is Marsh Miasma, which is probably a microscopic fungus (Bacillus Malaria) 1 See article “Malaria” in Quain’s Dictionary. growing on decomposing vegetable matter, and most rife when the land is drying, after having been previously soaked with water. It is, therefore, most frequent in the spring, and when the rains have fallen upon the decaying leaves in autumn. It was formerly common in the fens of Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, etc.
LAWS:
Malaria obeys the following laws, which, practically, are worth nothing. 1st. It spreads in the course of prevailing winds. 2nd. Its progress is arrested by rivers and running streams, and by rows of trees. 3. It does not rise above the low level. 4. It is most dangerous at night.
PREVENTIVE:
Persons going into malarious districts should take for a short time before, two grains of Sulphate of Quinine (1x), night and morning, and continue the same at increasing intervals during their stay. If Quinine is not tolerated, two grains of Arsenicum (3x), should be given in the same way. In persons sensitive to the action of arsenic, the third centesimal trituration may be given in place of the third decimal.
TREATMENT:
Palliative treatment is adopted during the paroxysms to mitigate the symptoms, and consists chiefly in imparting warmth during the cold stage; removing the patient’s coverings, and giving cooling drinks during the hot; and supplying him with warm and dry linen when the perspiring stage has passed by. The curative is adopted during the intermission, and is of the greatest importance.
China. Ague in marshy districts with its regular stages; yellowish complexion, drowsiness, tender or swollen liver or spleen, and watery or bilious diarrhoea. A dose just before an expected paroxysms, and every four hours through the intermission.
Arsenicum. Simultaneous or alternate heat and shivering, or internal shivering with external heat; burning heat, thirst, pains in the stomach, debility, and tendency to dropsical swellings; also when Quinine or Bark has been used in excess.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."