Brain Fever is characterized by two distinct epochs or stages—excitement and collapse; and though often distinct and well-defined, it occasionally happens that the one stage is so blended with the other as not to be appreciable, till the graver consequences of the second period evince themselves. The symptoms of the first stage are deep and intense pain in the head, tightness across the forehead, throbbing of the temporal arteries, ringing in the ears, flushed face, bloodshot eyes, and a wild and glistening stare; the pupils are contracted, and particularly sensitive to light, while the ears are impatient and irritable to the sense of noise: violent delirium, want of sleep, convulsive paroxysms, attended with a hot dry skin, hard quick pulse, a white coated tongue, great thirst, nausea and vomiting, and a confined state of the bowels. Sometimes delirium is the first symptom, or the disease may progress to a culminating point in a more insidious manner, often commencing with an apparent attack of biliary vomiting. This formidable disease usually proves fatal in a few days, sometimes in twelve hours. _The mode of treatment_ resolves itself into blood-letting, purgatives, and cold applications to the head. In bleeding, respect must be had to the _effect_ produced, and not to the _quantity_ abstracted, that is, till the pulse is affected, or fainting takes place; for this purpose, the patient should be bled _standing_, and from a _large_ orifice, in a full stream. About half an hour after the bleeding, and when the patient has rallied from the fainting, cupping is to be employed behind the ears, or the nape of the neck, while half a dozen leeches are applied to each temple. At the same time, bladders of ice are to be applied to the shaved head, occasionally varied by rubbing ether over the scalp briskly, and allowing it to evaporate. As constipation is a marked feature of brain fever, powerful purgatives must be employed from the first indication of the disease; for this purpose, one of the following powders should be given every three hours, and _three_ table-spoonfuls of the accompanying mixture every _four_ hours. _Powders._ Calomel 30 grains. Jalap 2 drachms. Ipecacuanha 6 grains. Mix and divide into six powders. _Mixture._ Infusion of Senna 7 ounces. Epsom Salts 2 ounces. Syrup of Buckthorn 1 ounce. Sal Volatile 1 drachm. Mix.—If this does not keep up a frequent and vigorous action on the bowels, in addition, put two drops of croton oil on the tongue, or wipe the wet cork or stopper of the bottle on the patient’s lips.