PUTRID, OR SPOTTED rEVER.
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We shall only add, that putrid, malignant, or spotted fevers, arehighly infectious, and are, therefore, often communicated by con-tagion. For which reason all persons ought to keep at a distancefrom those affected with such diseases, unless their attendance is ab-solutely necessary.
SYMPTOMS.------The malignant tever is generally preceded bj
a remarkable weakness or loss of strength, without any apparentcause. This is sometimes so great, that the patient can scarce walk,or even sit upright, without being in danger of fainting away. Hismind too is greatly dejected; he sighs, and is full of dreadful appre-hensions.
There is a nausea, and sometimes a vomiting of bile; a violentpain of the head, with a strong pulsation or throbbing of the tempo-ral arteries; the eyes often appear red and inflamed, with a pain atthe bottom of the orbit; there is a noise in the ears, the breathingis laborious, and often interrupted with a sigh; the patient com-plains of a pain about the region of the stomach, and in his back andloins ; the tongue is at first white, but afterwards it appears blacand chapped; and his teeth are covered with a black crust. Hsometimes passes worms both upwards and downwards, is affectedwith tremors or shaking, and often becomes delirious.
If blood is let, it appears dissolved, or with a very small degree ofcohesion, and soon becomes putrid; the stools smell extremely foe-tid, and are sometimes of a greenish, black, or reddish cast. Spotsof a pale purple, dun, or black colour, often appear upon the skin,and sometimes there are violent haemorrhages or discharges of bloodfrom the mouth, eyes, nose, &c.
Putrid fevers may be distinguished from the inflammatory, by thesinallness of the pulse, the great dejection of mind, the dissolvedstate of the blood, the petechia: or purple spots, and the putrid smellof the excrements. They may likewise be distinguished from thelow or nervous fever, by the heat and thirst being greater, the urineof i higher colour, and the loss of strength, dejection of mind, andall the other symptoms, more violent.
Jt sometimes happens, however, that the inflammatory, oervouf*and putrid symptoms, are so blended together, as to render it verydifficult to determine to which class the fever belongs. In this casethe greatest caution and skill are requisite. Attention must be paidto those symptoms which are most prevalent, and both the regimenand medicines adapted to them.
Inflammatory and nervous fevers may be converted into malig'•ant and putrid, by too hot a regimen or improper medicines.
The duration of putrid fevers is extremely uncertain; sometimesthey terminate between the seventh and fourteenth day, and at othertimes they aie prolonged for five or six weeks. Their duration de-pends greatly upon the constitution of the patient, and the mannerof treating the disease.
The most favorable symptoms are, a gentle looseness after thefourth or fifth day, with'a warm mild sweat. These when continuedtor a considerable time, often carry off the fever, and should nevei
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