Advice to the people in general, with regard to their healthTissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
Science
Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health
Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
Hygiene -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. -- Early works to 1800; Medicine, Popular -- Early works to 1800
Sec. 92. Spring is commonly the Season most productive of Pleurisies: in
general there are few in Summer: notwithstanding that in the Year 1762,
there were a great many during the hottest Season, which then was
excessively so. The Disease usually begins with a violent Shivering,
succeeded by considerable Heat, with a Cough, an Oppression, and
sometimes with a sensible Straitning, or Contraction, as it were, all
over the Breast; and also with a Head-ach, a Redness of the Cheeks, and
with Reachings to vomit. The Stitch does not always happen at the very
first Onset; often not 'till after several Hours from the first
Complaint; sometimes not before the second, or even the third Day.
Sometimes the Patient feels two Stitches, in different Parts of the
Side; though it seldom happens that they are equally sharp, and the
lightest soon ceases. Sometimes also the Stitch shifts its Place, which
promises well, if the Part first attacked by it continues perfectly free
from Pain: but it has a bad Appearance, if, while the first is present,
another also supervenes, and both continue. The Pulse is usually very
hard in this Distemper; but in the dreadful Cases described Sec. 47 and 90,
it becomes soft and small. There often occur at, or very quickly after,
the Invasion, such an Expectoration, or hawking up, as happens in an
Inflammation of the Breast; at other Times there is not the least
Appearance of it, whence such are named dry Pleurisies, which happen
pretty often. Sometimes the Sick cough but little, or not at all. They
often lie more at Ease upon the Side affected, than on the sound one.
The Progress of this Disease advances exactly like that described in the
preceding Chapter: for how can they differ considerably? and the
Treatment of both is the same. Large Haemorrhages, or Bleedings from the
Nose, frequently happen, to the great Relief of the Patient; but
sometimes such Discharges consist of a kind of corrupted Blood, when the
Patient is very ill, and these portend Death.
Sec. 93. This Distemper is often produced by drinking cold Water, while a
Person is hot; from which Cause it is sometimes so violent, as to kill
the Patient in three Hours. A young Man was found dead at the Side of
the Spring, from which he had quenched his Thirst: neither indeed is it
uncommon for Pleurisies to prove mortal within three Days.
Sometimes the Stitch disappears, whence the Patient complains less; but
at the same Time his Countenance changes; he grows pale and sad; his
Eyes look dull and heavy, and his Pulse grows feeble. This signifies a
Translation of the Disease to the Brain, a Case which is almost
constantly fatal.
There is no Disease in which the critical Symptoms are more violent, and
more strongly marked, than in this. It is proper this should be known,
as it may prevent or lessen our excessive Terror. A perfect Cure
supervenes sometimes, at the very Moment when Death was expected.
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