Domestic medicine : a treatise on the practice of medicine, adapted to the reformed system, comprising a materia medica / by J. Kost.

  • Kost, J., 1819-1904.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine : a treatise on the practice of medicine, adapted to the reformed system, comprising a materia medica / by J. Kost. 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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    INTERMITTENT FEVER. — (Febris Intermittens.) AGUE. —FEVER AND AGUE. Intermittent fever, as the name denotes, occurs in the form of successive paroxysms. These come on at vari- ous regular intervals, the length of which mark the distinctions in the forms of the disease: thus, when a paroxysm occurs as frequent as once in twenty-four hours, the intermittent is called quotidian ; when it comes on every forty-eight hours, it is denominated tertian, which is the most common form of the disease; when the return is suspended for seventy-two hours, it is called quartan. These are the most common forms in which the ague appears, but instances nevertheless occur, in which re- duplications of these take place, as double and triple tertians, &c. The former of these may, however, be mis- taken for quotidians, a paroxysm occurring every day, but varying in intensity, time of access, duration,&c, still every other paroxysm will be similar. The triple tertian is marked by the occurrence of two paroxysms every other day, and a single one on the intermediate day. Very rare instances occur of the appearance of regu- lar paroxysms at long intervals, as one or two weeks. Symptoms. — The incipient or forming stage of an intermittent paroxysm, is attended with symptoms which do not differ much from those of other forms of fever. There is generally a sense of lassitude, frequent yawning and stretching, and an uncomfortable sense of weariness of the entire body, attended with slight pains, and aching in the loins and extremities. Cold Stage* —Sooner or later, after the appearance of the foregoing symptoms, the patient begins to experi- ence slight and transient sensations of cold, along the back; the nails and lips turn blue, and the skin pale. * Called so from the sensation, as from cold, which the subject experiences.