Of the secretions, those of the bowels,
skin, and kidneys require attention in fever.
In most cases of typhoid fever and some
cases oi measles, the bowels incline to loose-
ness from the start. When, in those dis-
eases, they are not moved at all during the
first day of the fever, a small dose of a mild
purgative may be given ; in typhoid fever, a
teaspoonful of castor oil ; in measles, a tea-
spoonful of citrate of magnesium (solid), or
a half-wineglassful of effervescing solution
of citrate of magnesium ; or a teaspoonful of
Rochelle salt.
These are exceptional febrile diseases.
In remittent (autumnal, bilious, malarial)
fever, a good brisk purging early in the
attack with a saline medicine, such as citrate
of magnesium (an even tablespoon ful, solid,
or a wineglassful of the solution, repeated
in six hours if it does not operate) or Ro-
chelle salt (a tablespoonful), will be pretty
sure to be useful. Typhus fever requires
caution, in expectation of great weakness ;
half of the above doses will be best for its
treatment. Scarlet fever should be, as a
rule, the occasion for a good cooling saline
dose on the day the attack breaks out.
Purgatives help to clear out from the
bowels and from the blood impurities which,
while they remain, are poisonous to the sys-
tem. But real purgation belongs in fevers,
as a part of the treatment, only to the early
stage. After that, we need merely to see
that the bowels are not constipated ; a daily
moderate movement will suffice. Some per-
sons suppose that because a sick person
takes only small quantities of food, he does
not need to have his bowels open at all.
But the waste of the substance of the body
is going on even faster than during health,
and the discharge from the bowels comes
from this waste as well as from the refuse or
excess of food.
Fever : Dryness of Skin.
Dryness of the skin is a regular sj^mptom
of fever. The most frequent exception to it
is in the febrile state of inflammatory rlien-
matism ; in which the skin, while hot, is
sometimes quite moist. General 1}^ the
dryer the skin, the worse; the coming of
moisture shows the subsidence of the fever.
The high heat and dryness are connected
together. Reduce the temperature, and
perspiration will break out. Therefore, the
cold drinks and (careful) cold washing and
sponging, spoken of as appropriate to lower
the excessive temperature, will serve also to
restore the secretion from the skin. Citrate
of potassium, acetate of ammonium, and
some other medicines favor this effect.
Diiu'etics are agents which tend to in-
crease the action of the kidneys, the flow of
urine. They are among the more uncertain
remedies ; they do not always act as we wish
them to. In this they differ very much
from purgative medicines.
The salines alreadj^ mentioned (citrate of
potassium and acetate of ammonium) are
useful as diuretics. So are cream of tartar
and sweet spirit of nitre. The latter is ver}-
often given in fever, when the amount of
urine is small. Do not forget that some-
times, in low fevers, the bladder is full, but
the patient cannot empty it. This must be
examined into. If there is retention of urine,
it must be drawn off with a catheter.
Fever; Diet and Treatment.
Page 158
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Of the secretions, those of the bowels, skin, and kidneys require attention in fever. In most cases of typhoid fever and some cases oi measles, the bowels incline to looseness from the start. When, in those diseases, they are not moved at all during the first day of the fever, a small dose of a mild purgative may be given ; in typhoid fever, a teaspoonful of castor oil ; in measles, a teaspoonful of citrate of magnesium (solid), or a half-wineglassful of effervescing solution of citrate of magnesium ; or a teaspoonful of Rochelle salt.
These are exceptional febrile diseases. In remittent (autumnal, bilious, malarial) fever, a good brisk purging early in the attack with a saline medicine, such as citrate of magnesium (an even tablespoon ful, solid, or a wineglassful of the solution, repeated in six hours if it does not operate) or Rochelle salt (a tablespoonful), will be pretty sure to be useful. Typhus fever requires caution, in expectation of great weakness ; half of the above doses will be best for its treatment. Scarlet fever should be, as a rule, the occasion for a good cooling saline dose on the day the attack breaks out.
Purgatives help to clear out from the bowels and from the blood impurities which, while they remain, are poisonous to the system. But real purgation belongs in fevers, as a part of the treatment, only to the early stage. After that, we need merely to see that the bowels are not constipated ; a daily moderate movement will suffice. Some persons suppose that because a sick person takes only small quantities of food, he does not need to have his bowels open at all. But the waste of the substance of the body
is going on even faster than during health, and the discharge from the bowels comes from this waste as well as from the refuse or excess of food.
Fever : Dryness of Skin.
Dryness of the skin is a regular symptom of fever. The most frequent exception to it is in the febrile state of inflammatory rheumatism ; in which the skin, while hot, is sometimes quite moist. Generally the dryer the skin, the worse; the coming of moisture shows the subsidence of the fever. The high heat and dryness are connected together. Reduce the temperature, and perspiration will break out. Therefore, the cold drinks and (careful) cold washing and sponging, spoken of as appropriate to lower the excessive temperature, will serve also to restore the secretion from the skin. Citrate of potassium, acetate of ammonium, and some other medicines favor this effect.
Diuretics are agents which tend to increase the action of the kidneys, the flow of urine. They are among the more uncertain remedies ; they do not always act as we wish them to. In this they differ very much from purgative medicines.
The salines already mentioned (citrate of potassium and acetate of ammonium) are useful as diuretics. So are cream of tartar and sweet spirit of nitre. The latter is very often given in fever, when the amount of urine is small. Do not forget that sometimes, in low fevers, the bladder is full, but the patient cannot empty it. This must be examined into. If there is retention of urine, it must be drawn off with a catheter.
Fever; Diet and Treatment.