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INTEKMITTÍNG FEVEES.
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CHAPTER XIV.OF INTEKMITTÍNG FEVERS OR AGUES.
Intermitting fevers afford the best opportunity both of ob-serving the nature of a fever, and also the effects of medicine.No person can be at a loss to distinguish an intermitting fe-ver from any other ; and the proper medicine for it is nowalmost universally known.
The several kinds of intermitting fevers take their namesfrom the period in which the fit returns, as quotidian, tertian,quartan, &c.
Causes. — Agues are occasioned by moist air. This isevident from their abounding in rainy seasons, and beingmost frequent in countries where the soil is marshy, as inHolland, the fens of Cambridgeshire, the Hundreds of Essex,&c. This disease may also be occasioned by eating too muchstone fruit, by a poor watery diet, damp houses, eveningdews, lying upon the damp ground, &c. When the inhabi-tants of a high country remove to a low one, they seldom failto catch an intermitting fever, and to such the disease is mostapt to prove fatal. In a word, whatever relaxes the solids,diminishes the perspiration, or obstructs the circulation in thecapillary or small vessels, disposes the body to agues.
Symptoms. — -An intermitting fever generally begins with apain of the head and loins, weariness of the limbs, coldnessof the extremities, stretching, yawning, with sometimes greatsickness and vomiting ; to which succeed shivering and vio-lent shaking. Afterwards the skin becomes moist, and aprofuse sweat breaks out, which generally terminates the fitor paroxysm. Sometimes indeed the disease comes on sud-denly, when the person thinks himself in perfect health ; butit is more commonly preceded by listlessness, loss of appetite,and the symptoms mentioned above.
Regimen. — While the fit continues, the patient ought todrink freely of water gruel, orange whey, weak camomile tea ;or, if his spirits be low, small wine whey, sharpened with thejuice of lemon. All his drink should be warm, as that willassist in bringing on the sweat, and consequently shorten theparoxysm.
Between the paroxysms the patient must be supported withfood that is nourishing, but light and easy of digestion, as