Syllabus prepared for the use of the class / by S. Henry Dickson.

  • Dickson, Samuel Henry, 1798-1872.
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Syllabus prepared for the use of the class / by S. Henry Dickson. 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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    occurs in the extreme vessels, the mutrient, and secretory, and excretory, denominated the capillary system. Fevers, properly divided into Idiopathic, and Symptomatic. The distinction intended, is generally recognized in market ca- ses, as when we refer on the one hand to fever from local inju- ry, succeeded by inflammation, and on the other, to the regu- lar recurrence of an habitual quartan. Certain intermediate instances are often dwelt on, in which the peculiarities of these classes are much softened down, as in pleurisy, dysentery, &c. The best definition therefore, which can be offered, is that which connects Symptomatic fever essentially, with some obvi- ous, regular, and early local inflammation—Idiopathic fevers, being such as do not shew distinctly any such connection. The latter head will then comprise Intermittents, with the ex- ception of Hectic, Remittents generally, and among the Continued fevers Typhus, Catarrhal Fever and Pneumonia Typhoides. Examples of the true Symptomatic Fever are given in Pleuritis, Hepatitis, Phrenitis, Gastritis, Enteritis, the Exanthemata, &c. with the Inflammatory Fever which occurs immediately after a severe injury, and the Irritative or Hectic, which comes on later. Most of the above are however, arranged in preference according to the locality of their cha- racteristic phenomena as Phrenitis, &c. and the Exanthemata- It has been much disputed, whether the first step in the for- mation of fever is the production of debility, or of irritation. The true nature of incipient febrile action, is unknown. A majority of the remote causes of fever, it is true, are of a stimulant, or irritating, or exciting quality—but not all— Typhus, the famine fever of Ireland, is the result of agents of opposite tendency, and large losses of blood are very apt to be followed by fever. Cullen's definition of fever examined. Fevers do not always begin with a cold stage. When they have so commenced, the animal heat of the surface is not always augmented. The frequency of the pulse is sometimes diminished. Nothing is more strongly characteristic of fever, than the general diminution, and depravation of the secretions of all the surfaces and glands, hence the thirst, the clammy mouth, furred tongue, nauseated stomach, constipated bowels, harsh dry skin, paucity of urine which is high colored, &c. The ancient notion of the tendency of Fever to run a cer- tain course and subside spontaneously, objected to—its cura- bility maintained, and the perturbing system of treatment zealously vindicated. Fever occasionally cut short by vene- section, emetics* cathartics, cold baths, mercurials, &c.