An Essay on Contagious Diseases: more particularly on the small-pox, measles, putrid, malignant, and pestilential feversWintringham, Clifton
History
An Essay on Contagious Diseases: more particularly on the small-pox, measles, putrid, malignant, and pestilential fevers
Wintringham, Clifton
Communicable diseases -- Early works to 1800; Fever -- Early works to 1800; Smallpox -- Early works to 1800
The Symptoms accompanying a Pestilential Fever are Yawning, Stretching,
Coldness, frequently to the greatest Extremity, Shuddering, suddain
Pains in the Head, Giddiness, Loathing, Vomiting, a low unequal Pulse,
Trembling, great inward Heat, especially about the _Præcordia_, Coldness
of the Extremities, uncertain Sweats, Inquietude, Stupor, Delirium,
Watching, Convulsions, Carbuncles, Buboes, Livid Vesications, Purple
Spots, _Hæmorrhages_, which three last are the certain Forerunners of
Death.
But here it is to be observed, that all the preceeding Symptoms do not
constantly happen to every individual Person who is affected with a
Pestilential Fever, but differ both in Number and Degree according to
the Degree of Infection, Virulence of the Contagious Particles, and
Constitutions of particular Persons; Thus the more the Blood is stock'd
with Acrid and Pungent Salts, and other Parts render'd Glutinous,
Coagulated, or Inspissated, the hotter the Season of the Year, the more
violent the Symptoms will be, where the Degree of Infection is equal,
and _vice versa_.
[Sidenote: _Yawning, Stretching
Lassitude._]
These are the first Signs of the Seisure of the fatal Enemy, and take
their Rise from the Slowness of the Motion of the Circulating Fluids.
For the Viscosity of the moving Fluids being increased, and the
_Liquidum Nervorum_ degenerating in Proportion thereto, the Weight to be
moved will bear a greater Proportion to the moving Force than in a
Natural State, and consequently the Animal must be affected with
Weariness, as we find it is in all Cases where the Spirits are exhausted
and weakned, in Proportion to the Circulating Juices. The other two are
the necessary Consequence of this, for the Viscosity of the Fluids
rendring them unfit to pass the small Capillary Vessels, the Pressure on
the _Fibres_ and Vessels will be increased, excite an uneasy Sensation,
and stimulate them to more frequent Vibrations, in order to dislodge the
Enemy: Whence follows a Contraction of the Muscles, and especially those
which serve for Voluntary Motion, and into which the Spirits are most
frequently determin'd: Hence then appears the Necessity of such a Method
and Medicines as may dilute and dissolve the Cohering Fluids, and
especially of such as are taken actually hot, and with large Quantities
of Diluters, the great Activity of the Fiery Particles contain'd in
them, rendring them much more capable of penetrating into the smallest
Recesses of the Body, and disjoining the Coagulated Fluids.
[Sidenote: _Coldness, Shuddering._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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