104 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON FEVERS, &c.

CHAP. II-GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON FEVERS, &c.

Fevers, though the most common complaints, are those inwhich mankind, whether professional or laical, are those by whichthey are most apt to be misled. It has been well observed, that" in reality, no writer seems to have been fully satisfied with hisown definition, and it is not extraordinary, therefore, that he shouldhave seldom given satisfaction to others." This difficulty proceedsfrom the complexity of the symptoms that enter into the charac-ter of a fever ; the contrariety of many of them to each other indifferent stages of it ; and the occasional absence of some, that, inother instances, appear to constitute its leading features. Thereare also two other difficulties of no inconsiderable magnitude, whichthe nosologist has to contend with in laying down a clear and per-spicuous survey of fevers ; namely, their division or collocation,and their generic names, — a province, on which, however, it is notour intention now to discuss.

The remote cause of fever can frequently be traced ; but we aretoo little acquainted with the nature of several of them to be ableto restrict them to a specific mode of action : of the proximatecause, but very little is at present known, and will probably be longbefore we know much more.

The Usiiul division of fevers is into intermittents, and continu-ed, on account of their taking up different times in their naturalduration ; some being compounded of a number of paroxysms, fol-lowing each other in a regular succession, at some distance of time,as happens in intermittents or agues ; in others, a fresh paroxismcomes in, immediately as the crisis of the former, so as hardly toleave the patient wholly free from fever, as occurs in remittents ;and in others, there is such a quick succession of paroxysms, thatthe one comes on before there is any visible abatement of the fe-brile symptoms as in continued fevers.

Causes op fevers, &c. — As more than one half of mankind issaid to perish by fevers, it is of importance to be acquainted withtheir causes. The most general causes of fevers are, infection,rors in diet, unwholesome air, violent emotions of the mind, excess orsuppression of usual evacuations, external or internal injuries, and ex-treme degrees of heat or cold. As most of these have already beentreated of at considerable length, and their effects shown, we shallnot now resume the consideration of them, but shall only recom-mend it to all, as they would wish to avoid fevers and other fataldiseases, to pay the most punctual attention to these articles.

Fevers are not only the most frequent of all diseases, but they arelikewise the most complex. In the most simple species of fever thereis always a combination of several different symptoms. The dis-tinguishing symptoms of fever are, increased heat, frequency of pulse,loss of appetite, general debility, pain in the head, and a difficulty inerforming some of the vital or animal functions. The other symp-