On rheumatic fever.

Date:
[©1852?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On rheumatic fever. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    ON RHEUMATIC FEVER. ■0- Rheumatic Fever feems a more appropriate term than Acute Rheumatifm, inafmuch as, by the confent of probably all patholo- gifts, the difeafe is now efteemed to be an effential fever, rather than a pyrexia confequent upon, and therefore indicative of, local diforder. Moft of us have feen cafes in w^hich the febrile fymp- toms virere well developed, whilft the joints remained little or not at all affedted. The beft marked inftance of this which has come under my immediate notice was in a little girl fufFering from chorea. Whilft in hofpital flie was feized with fevere rigors, followed by high fever and much perfpiration. I was doubtful at firft whether thefe were indications of fmallpox or rheumatic fever. Guided by the abfence of back ache, the fournefs of the perfpiration, and the well-afcertained frequency of rheumatic fymptoms in chorea, I concluded to treat her for rheumatic fever. Juft as the febrile fymptoms were palling away, both wrifts prefented evidences of the local rheumatifm. Thefe, however, foon difappeared, and fhe was fpeedily well. Graves particularly notices this feature, which is alfo recognifed by Latham and Fuller. Now, this is charadteriftic of idiopathic fevers; neverthelefs, in rheumatic, as undoubtedly in typhoid, fevers, the pyrexia may be reexcited or maintained by an acceflion of new or an aggravation of old local diforder. This fadl, as connedted with continued fever, has been thrown into relief by Dr. 'Jenner. Attempts have been made to determine the exaft nature of the materies morbi rheumatic:. Lithic acid, ladtic acid, and an