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MALIGNANT AND PUTRID FEVER.

A most material circumstance to be attended to both at the com-mencement of this fever, and during its whole course, is to coverthe patient lightly with bed-clothes, and to keep his apartmentcool and properly ventilated, by allowing a regular and free ad-mission of fresh air into it ; and in order to render it pleasantboth to himself and attendants, it ought to be sprinkled severaltimes a-day with warm vinegar and camphorated spirit. Fumiga-tions* will also be advisable. Cleanliness, in the strictest senseof the word, is tobe most carefully attended to : and, therefore,the bed and body linen should be frequently changed ; and when-ever the patient has a motion, it ought to be instantaneously re-moved.

For preventing putrid fevers, we would recommend a strict re-gard to cleanliness ; a dry situation ; sufficient exercise in the openair ; wholesome food, and a moderate use of generous liquors.Infection ought, above all things, to be avoided. No constitutionis proof against it. I have known persons seized with the putridfever, by only making a single visit to a patient in it ; others havecaught it by lodging for one night in a town where it prevailed ;and some by attending the funerals of such as died of it.f

When a putrid fever seizes any person in a family, the greatestattention is necessary to prevent the disease from spreading. Thesick ought to be placed in a large apartment, as remote from therest of the family as possible ; he ought likewise to be kept ex-tremely clean, and should have fresh air frequently let into hiachamber; whatever comes from him should be immediately remov-ed, his linen should be frequently changed, and those in healthought to avoid all unnecessary communication with him.

Any one who is apprehensive of having caught the infection,ought immediately to take an emetic, and to work it off by drink-ing plentifully of camomile tea. This may be repeated in a dayor two, if the apprehensions still continue, or any unfavourablesymptoms appear.

The person ought likewise to take an infusion of the bark andcamomile flowers for his ordinary drink ; and before he goes tobed, he may drink an English pint of pretty strong negus, or afew glasses of generous wine. I have been frequently obliged to

* The mineral acid gases used in the apartments of the sick, have been found topossess a powerful disinfecting agency. Either the nitric acid, or the muriatic, maybe used with this intention, although the latter is thought to be more diffusible thanthe former. When the preference is given to it, it may be used in the following man-ner :— Put one pound of common salt into an earthen vessel, and pour over it, fromtime to time, a small quantity of sulphuric acid, till the whole salt is moistened. Ifthe air be foul, and peculiarly offensive, apply a gentle heat under the vessel, to ex-tricate a larger quantity of vapour; but, in general, the simple ddition of the acid tothe salt will be found sufficient, unless the apartment is very large.

Perhaps the most effectual way of fumigation, of all others, is the following : al-though it requires some nicety in the management of it. Take of manganese in pow-der two parts ; one part of common salt, three of sulphuric acid, and one of water. Putan ounce of the mixed manganese and salt into a basin, add a large tea-spoonful ofwater, then drop in half a teaspoonful of sulphuric acid, and repeat this till you havensed a tea-spoonful and a half of the acid. In this manner keep up a suitable extrica-tion of the fumes. Ed.

t The late Sir John Pringle agreed with me, in thinking that a good doctor anda•areful nurse were the only necessary attendants; and that all others not only endan-gered themselves, but generally, by their solicitude and ill-directed care, hurt thesick.