An essay on the pathology and therapeutics of scarlet fever / by Caspar Morris.

  • Morris, Caspar, 1805-1884.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the pathology and therapeutics of scarlet fever / by Caspar Morris. 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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    and glazed surface. This condition of tongue is doubtless owing to the same process taking place in the raucous mem- brane as that which is known as desquamation of the cuticle, and it continues about the same length of time. The symptoms are sometimes so mild, and the regular per- formance of the functions of the nervous system is so little dis- turbed by the disease, that the patient may pass through all the stages without requiring any medical treatment. Some- times the character of an entire epidemic is thus benign; and this must undoubtedly have been the case in that recorded by Sydenham, who does not notice the anginose complication, though he describes with his usual perspicuity the symptoms as we have just given them. It will be found, however, when we come to treat of the sequelae, that such cases are by no means devoid of interest nor free from danger. It is an im- portant fact in the history of the disease, that in London itself, within the next half century, the epidemics of Scarlet Fever were among the most malignant on record: thus teaching the necessity of avoiding hasty generalization, into which, in this instance, even Sydenham himself was betrayed. It must not, however, be supposed that all cases of simple scarlet fever are thus mild in their character. In some in- stances from the intensity of the cause, and in others from the peculiarity of the individual attacked, the nervous system feels more decidedly the impression; and we then have symptoms of a more formidable character. The vomiting or nausea, by which, as I before remarked, the disease is almost invariably ushered in, may be preceded, accompanied, or followed by violent convulsions, which are often of a peculiar, tetanic character. When the impression is less severe, there will be frequent contractions of the muscles of the forearm, with startings of the tendons, and twitchings of the fingers; and occasionally there is coma, or even the wildest delirium, mani- fested by screaming and frequent starting from slumber. On