OF THE, REMITTING FEVER.

121

Bleeding is seldom necessary in this disease, and sometimes it doesmuch hurt, as it weakens the patient, and depresses his spirits. It istherefore never to be attempted unless by the advice of a physician.We mention this, because it has been customary to treat this diseasein childbed women by plentiful bleeding, and other evacuations, as ifit were highly inflammatory. But this practice is generally very un-safe. Patients in this situation bear evacuations very ill. And in-deed the disease seems often to be more of a putrid than of an in-flammatory nature.

Though this fever is occasioned in childbed women by too hot aregimen, yet it would be dangerous to leave that oft* all of a sudden,and have recourse to a very cool regimen, and large evacuations.We have reason to believe that supporting the patient's spirits, andpromoting the natural evacuations, is here much safer than to haverecourse to artificial ones, as these, by sinking the spirits, seldomfoil to increase the danger.

If the disease proves tedious, or the recovery slow, we would re-commend the Peruvian bark, which may either be taken in substance,or infused in wine or water, as the patient inclines.

The miliary fever, like all other eruptive diseases, requires gentlepurging, which should not be neglected, as soon as the fever is goneoff, and the patient's strength will permit.

To prevent this disease, a pure dry air, sufficient exercise, anawholesome food are necessary. Pregnant women should guard againstcostiveness, and take daily as much exercise as they can bear, avoioall green trashy fruits, and other unwhoslesome things; and whenin childbed, they ought strictly to observe a cool regimen.

CHAP. XXII.

OF THE REMITTING FEVER.

This fever takes its name from a remission of the symptom, whichhappens sometimes sooner and sometimes later, but generally beforethe eighth day, the remission is commonly preceded by a gentle sweat,after which the patient seems greatly relieved, but in a few hours thefever returns. These remissions return at very irregular periods, andare sometimes of longer and sometimes of shorter duration; thenearer however that the fever approaches to a regular intermittentthe danger is the less.

CAUSES. ------Remitting fevers prevail in low marshy countries

abounding with wood and stagnating water; but prove most fatalin places where great heat and moisture are combined, as in someparts of Africa, the province of Bengal in the East Indies, &c. where••emitting fevers are generally of a putrid kind, and prove very fatal.They are most frequent in close calm weather, especially after rainyseasons, great inundations, or the like. No age, sex or constitution, isexempted from thp attack of this fever; but it chiefly seizes persons