PUTRID, Oil SPOTTED FEVER.
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Few things are of greater importance in this disease than acids,which ought to be mixed with all the patient's food as well as drink.Orange, lemon, or vinegar-whey, are all very proper, and may bedrank by turns, according to the patient's inclination. They maybe rendered cordial by the addition of wine in such quantity as thepatient's strength seems to require. When he is very low, he maydrink negus, with only one half water, and sharpened with the juiceof orange or lemon. In some cases a glass of wine may now andthen be allowed. The most proper wine is Rhenish; but if the bodybe open, red port or claret is to be preferred.
When the body is bound, a tea-spoonful of the cream of tartar maybe put into a cup of the patient's drink, as there is occasion; or hemay drink a decoction of tamarinds, which will both quench histhirst, and promote a discharge by stool.
If camomile-tea will sit upon his stomach, it is a very proper drinkin this disease. It may be sharpened by adding to every cup of thetea, ten or fifteen drops of the. diluted vitriolic acid.
The food must be light, as panado, or groat-gruel, to which a lit-tle wine may be added, if the patient be weak and low; and theyought all to be sharpened with the juice of orange, the jelly of cur-rants, or the like. The patient ought likewise to eat freely of ripefruits, as roasted apples, currant or gooseberry tarts, preserved cher-ries, or plums, &c.
Taking a little food or drink frequently not only supports the spi-rits, but counteracts the putrid tendency of the humours; for whichreason, the patient ought frequently to be sipping small quantities eisome of the acid liquors mentioned above, or any that may be moi»agreeable to his palate, or more readily obtained.
If he is delirious, his feet and hands ought to be frequently fo-mented with a strong infusion of camomile flowers. This, or an in-fusion of the bark, to such as can afford it, cannot fail to have agood effect. Fomentations of this kind not only relieve the head, byrelaxing the vessels in the extremities: but as their contents are aS>-sorbed, and taken into the system, they may assist in preventing theputrescency of the humours.
MEDICINE.-------If a vomit be given at the beginning of this fe-ver, it will hardly fail to have a good effect; but if the fever hasgone on for some days, and the symptoms are violent, vomits arenot guite so safe. The body, however, is always to be kept gentlyopen by clysters or mild laxative medicines.
Bleeding is seldom necessary in putrid fevers. If there be signsof an inflammation, it may sometimes be permitted at the first onset;but the repetition of it generally proves hurtful.
Blistering-plasters are never to be used unless in the greatest ex-tremities. If the petechias or spots should suddenly disappear, thepatient's pulse sink remarkably, and a delirium, with other bailsymptoms, come on, blistering may be permitted. In this case theblistering-plasters are to be applied to the head, and inside of the let .-.or thighs. But as they are sometimes apt to occasion a gangrene, v«ewould rather recommend warm cataplasms, or poultices of mustard
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