A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 2 : $b General diseases (continued) and diseases of the digestive system — John Shaqi
A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 2 : $b General diseases (continued) and diseases of the digestive system
Science
A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 2 : $b General diseases (continued) and diseases of the digestive system
Medicine -- Practice
{29} Other local inflammations occasionally arise in the course of
acute rheumatism: pneumonia is one of the most frequent; left pleuritis
is not infrequent, and is doubtless often caused by the extension of a
pericarditis; but both pneumonia and pleurisy are occasionally double
in rheumatic fever. Severe bronchitis is observed now and then, and
very rarely peritonitis, and even meningitis. These several affections,
together with delirium, coma, convulsions, chorea, and hyperpyrexia,
which are likewise occasional incidents of the disease, will be
considered under the head of non-articular manifestations and
complications of acute articular rheumatism.[27]
[Footnote 27: See observations of W. S. Cheesman, M.D., _New York
Medical Record_, Feb. 25, 1882, 202.]
Some of the symptoms of acute articular rheumatism need individual
notice.
The temperature in acute articular rheumatism maintains no typical
course, and usually exhibits a series of exacerbations and remissions,
which correspond closely in time and degree with the period, duration,
and severity of the local inflammatory attacks. As a very general rule
in average cases, the temperature attains by the end of the first or
second day to 102° F., and while the subsequent evening exacerbations
may reach 104°, 104.4°, or very rarely 105°, yet in the great majority
of cases the maximum temperature does not exceed 103° F., and in a very
considerable number falls short of 102°. An analysis of one of Dr.
Southey's tables[28] shows that in 84 cases of acute rheumatism 1
attained the temperature of 105.8°; 8, that of 104° to 105°; 15, that
of 103° to 104°; 32, that of 102° to 103°; 17, that of 101° to 102°;
10, that of 100° to 101°; and 1, that of 99.8°; that is, the
temperature was below 103° in five-sevenths, and below 104° in about
ten-twelfths, of the whole. In very mild cases, in which but a few
joints are inflamed, and only to a slight degree, the temperature may
not reach 100° at any time, and there may be intervals of complete
apyrexia. On the other hand, in a few rare severe cases of rheumatic
fever, especially when complicated with pericarditis, pneumonia, or
delirium, or other disturbance of the cerebral functions, the
temperature attains to 106°, 108°,[29] 109.4°,[30] 110.2°,[31] or even
111°,[32] or 112°. Such cases are now spoken of as examples of
rheumatic hyperpyrexia.
[Footnote 28: _St. Bartholomew's Hospital Reports_, xiv. p. 12.]
[Footnote 29: Weber, _Clinical Society's Trans._, vol. v. p. 136.]
[Footnote 30: Th. Simon, quoted by Senator, _Ziemssen's Cyclop. of
Prac. Med._, xvi. p. 46.]
[Footnote 31: Murchison and Burdon-Sanderson, two cases, _Clinical
Society's Trans._, vol. i. pp. 32-34.]
[Footnote 32: Ringer, _Med. Times and Gaz._, vol. ii., 1867, p. 378.]
There is no rule about the mode of invasion of this high temperature.
It may ensue gradually or suddenly, the previous range having been low,
moderate, or high, steady or oscillating.
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