NERVOUS FEVER.
131
the discharge occasioned by one blistering-plaster abates, to applyanother to some other part of the body, and by that means keepup a continual succession of them till he be out of danger.
I have been more sensible of the advantage of blistering in this,than in any other disease. Blistering-plasters not only stimulatethe solids to action, but likewise occasion a continual discharge,which may in some measure supply the want of critical evacua-tions, which seldom happen in this kind of fever. They are mostproper, however, either towards the beginning, or after some de-gree of stupor has come on, in which last case it will always beproper to blister the head.
If the patient be costive through the course of the disease, itwill be necessary to procure a stool, by giving him every otherday a clyster of milk and water, with a little sugar, to which maybe added a spoonful of common salt, if the above does not op-erate.
Should a violent looseness come on, it may be checked by hav-ing recourse to astringents ;* but, in the progress of the disease,if a gentle diarrhoea occur, and seem likely to prove critical, itshould by no means be checked.
A miliary eruption sometimes breaks out about the ninth or tenthday. As eruptions are often critical, great care should be takennot to retard Nature's operation in this particular. The eruptionought neither to be checked by bleeding nor other evacuationsnor pushed out by a hot regimen ; but the patient should be snj>-ported by gentle cordials, as wine-whey, small negus, sago-gruelwith a little wine in it, and such like. He ought not to be kepttoo warm, yet a kindly-breathing sweat should by no means bechecked.
Though blistering and the use of cordial liquors are the chiefthings to be depended on in this kind of fever ; yet for those whomay choose to use them, we shall mention one or two of the formsof medicine which are commonly prescribed in it.
In desperate cases, where the hiccup and starting of the tendonshave already come on, we have sometimes seen extraordinary ef-fects from large doses of musk, ether, camphor, ammonia, opium,frequently repeated. Musk is doubt'«ss an antispasmodic, andmay be given to the quantity of a scruple three or four times a-day,or oftener if necessary. Sometimes it may be proper to add tothe musk a few grains of camphor, and salt of hartshorn, as thesetend to promote perspiration and the discharge of urine. Thus,fifteen grains of musk, with three grains of camphor, and six grains
* Take Chatk Mixture, 2 ounces.
Tincture of Catechu, 2 drms.
Tincture of Opium, 30 drops.
Cinnamon Water.Make a mixture, of which give two table
spoonsful every six hours.Take Virginian Snake-root.
Contrayerva, of each 10 grains.
Russian Castor, 5 grainu
Syrup of Saffron, enough to make themass into a bolus, to be taken ev#ryfour or five hours.
orTake powdered Valerian, 1 eple*
Saffron.
Russian Castor, of each, 4 grains.Make a powder, to be taken every thr»eor four hours, in a cup of wine-whey.