On the treatment of hyperpyrexia : as illustrated in acute articular rheumatism by means of the external application of cold / by Wilson Fox.

  • Fox, Wilson, 1831-1887.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the treatment of hyperpyrexia : as illustrated in acute articular rheumatism by means of the external application of cold / by Wilson Fox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    a quarter of an inch outside the nipple, but the area of dulness was not increased. The cardiac region was tender. The first sound was muffled at the apex; but there was no distinct murmur. The patient perspired freely. She was placed on the treatment by the perchloride of iron, introduced by my friend and colleague, Dr. Deynolds, half a drachm of the tinc- ture being given every four hours, and the affected joints were wrapped in cotton-wool. On the 9th of June (the thirteenth day of the disease), the patient’s state was much the same. She perspired profusely; the tongue was still furred. Friction was abundant over the heart; the cardiac dulness extended only to the third cartilage. The joints of the upper extremities were more painful, those of the lower extremities less so. On the morning of the 10th (fourteenth day of illness) there was little change, and the patient still presented the appearance of an ordinary case of acute rheumatism, with a rather marked degree of weakness. Up to this date the pyrexia, as measm-ed by the temperature, had been of an extremely moderate type. On the 5th, the day of admission, it had reached, in the even- ing, 102‘9°; but though taken regularly on the mornings and evenings, it had only once subsequently (on the evening of June 9th) been even as high as 101’2°, and on two occasions the morning temperature was 99*2° and 99‘6°. On the morn- ing of the 10th it was measured, but by some accident not recorded, though found higher than before; I am, however, assured by my excellent clinical clerk, Mr. Benham, who took it, and by my most reliable assistant, Mr. Bindley, who was present at the time, that it did not exceed 102° (axilla). The patient’s aspect was then that of increased prostration, and she was perspiring freely, but no other change was noticed in her general state. At 3 p.m. on the same day (fourteenth day, five days after admission, and twelve days since the rigor), the tem- perature was found to have risen to 105°, and at 5.30 p.m. it was 105‘6° (axilla). I was sent for, and reached the hospital at 6 P.M. The temperature in the axilla was then 106-4°. It had risen 4*4° since 9 a.m., or within nine hours. At this time the patient was entirely free from pain in her joints. She was con- scious, but spoke with difficulty, and with an extremely slow B 3