Observations, etc. on the epidemic disease, which lately prevailed at Gibraltar: intended to illustrate the nature of contagious fevers in general. [Part 1] / by Seguin Henry Jackson.

  • Jackson, Seguin Henry, 1752-1816.
Date:
1806
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations, etc. on the epidemic disease, which lately prevailed at Gibraltar: intended to illustrate the nature of contagious fevers in general. [Part 1] / by Seguin Henry Jackson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ✓ the circulation. The remote causes of fever producing this debility are ever worthy of consideration. They may with propriety be considered as poisons, which weaken the nervous power, and energy of the brain (23 et seq.) Of the principal of these I shall speak more at large hereafter. 34. There is one organ of the body particularly affected at the attack of fever, from its established sympathy and con¬ nection with the whole system, to wit, the stomach : so that the nausea and vomiting at the commencement of fever, are the effects of sympathy with either the general debility of the system, or with some local affection; and do not ordinarily arise from foulness of the stomach. 35. The state of the bile has been supposed by some to be the most probable cause of fever. Its presence however, as we generally see it, is certainly only symptomatic. On this account, emetics may often be dispensed with, particularly after the commencement, or complete formation, of the fever: and when the nausea and vomiting continue beyond the com¬ mencement of the fever, lasting for several days, perhaps a week, they are the symptoms of sympathy, and should point out to us, from the observations I have myself made in prac¬ tice, a suspicion of some local inflammatory affection existing in some one part or other of the body. 36. Though horror, tremor, and rigor, are generally to be considered as the effects from cold, by producing debility at the attack of fever, yet such effects will often be alone produced by the passions of the mind, as fear, &c. which, spight of the Brunonian doctrine, are all “ affections equally positive and independentand it may be proper to observe, that tremor, while it arises from debility, will bear a proportion to the subsequent spasm and powder of re-action. Tremor, in fact, has been considered as the beginning of spasm. It is of a paralytic nature : and when the horror, tremor, and rigor do not take place, it argues a want of proper exertion in the system to overcome the debility, and consequent derangement in the circulation (22),