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1. The year was southerly,
rainy; no winds throughout. Droughts having prevailed during the previous
seasons of the year, the south winds towards the rising of Arcturus were
attended with much rain. Autumn gloomy and cloudy, with
copious rains. Winter southerly, damp, and soft.
But long after the solstice, and near the equinox, much wintery weather out of
season; and when now close to the equinox, northerly, and winterly weather for
no long time. The spring again southerly, calm, much rain
until the dog-days. Summer fine and hot; great suffocating heats. The
Etesian winds blew small and irregular; again, about the season of Arcturus,
much rains with north winds.
2. The year being
southerly, damp, and soft towards winter, all were healthy, except those
affected with phthisis, of whom we shall write afterwards.
3. Early in spring, along
with the prevailing cold, there were many cases of erysipelas, some from a
manifest cause, and some not. They were of a malignant nature, and proved fatal
to many; many had sore-throat and loss of speech. There were many cases of
ardent fever, phrensy, aphthous affections of the mouth, tumors on the genital
organs; of ophthalmia, anthrax, disorder of the bowels, anorexia, with thirst
and without it; of disordered urine, large in quantity, and bad in quality; of
persons affected with coma for a long time, and then falling into a state of
insomnolency. There were many cases of failure of crisis, and many of
unfavorable crisis; many of dropsy and of phthisis. Such were the diseases then
epidemic. There were patients affected with every one of the species which have
been mentioned, and many died. The symptoms in each of these cases were as
follows:
4. In many cases
erysipelas, from some obvious cause, such as an accident, and sometimes from
even a very small wound, broke out all over the body, especially, in persons
about sixty years of age, about the head, if such an accident was neglected in
the slightest degree; and this happened in some who were under treatment; great
inflammation took place, and the erysipelas quickly spread all over. in the most of them abscessed ended in suppurations, and
there were great fallings off (sloughing) of the flesh, tendons, and bones; and
the defluxion which seated in the part was not like pus, but a sort of
putrefaction, and the running was large and of various characters. Those cases
in which any of these things happened about the head were accompanied with
falling off of the hairs of the head and chin, the bones were laid bare and
separated, and there were excessive runnings; and these symptoms happened in
fevers and without fevers. But these things were more formidable in appearance
than dangerous; for when the concoction in these cases turned to a these cases turned to a suppuration, most of them
recovered; but when the inflammation and erysipelas disappeared, and when no
abscess was formed, a great number of these died. In like manner, the same
things happened to whatever part of the body the disease wandered, for in many
cases both forearm and arm dropped off; and in those cases in which it fell
upon the sides, the parts there, either before or behind, got into a bad state;
and in some cases the whole femur and bones of the leg and whole foot were laid
bare. But of all such cases, the most formidable were those which took place
about the pubes and genital organs. Such was the nature of these cases when
attended with sores, and proceeding from an external cause; but the same things
occurred in fevers, before fevers, and after fevers. fevers.
But those cases in which an abscess was formed, and turned to a suppuration, or a seasonable diarrhea or discharge of good
urine took place, were relieved thereby: but those cases in which none of these
symptoms occurred, but they disappeared without a crisis, proved fatal. The
greater number of these erysipelatous cases took place in the spring, but were prolonged
through the summer and during autumn.
5. In certain cases there
was much disorder, and tumors about the fauces, and inflammations of the
tongue, and abscesses about the teeth. And many were attacked with impairment
or loss of speech; at first, those in the commencement of phthisis, but also
persons in ardent fever and in phrenitis.
6. The cases of ardent
fever and phrenitis occurred early in spring after the cold set in, and great
numbers were taken ill at that time, and these cases were attended with acute
and fatal symptoms. The constitution of the ardent fevers which then occurred
was as follows: at the commencement they were affected with coma, nausea, and
rigors; fever acute, not much thirst, nor delirium, slight epistaxis, the
paroxysms for the most part on even days; and, about the time of the paroxysms,
forgetfulness, loss of strength and of speech, the extremities, that is to say,
the hands and feet, at all times, but more especially about the time of the
paroxysms, were colder than natural; they slowly and imperfectly became warmed,
and again recovered their recollection and speech. They were constantly
affected either with coma, in which they got which they got no sleep, or with
insomnolency, attended with pains; most had disorders of the bowels, attended
with undigested, thin, and copious evacuations; urine copious, thin, having
nothing critical nor favorable about it; neither was there any other critical
appearance in persons affected thus; for neither was there any proper
hemorrhage, nor any other of the accustomed evacuations, to prove a crisis.
They died, as it happened, in an irregular manner, mostly about the crisis, but
in some instances after having lost their speech for a long time, and having
had copious sweats. These were the symptoms which marked the fatal cases of
ardent fever; similar symptoms occurred in the phrenitic cases; but these were
particularly free from thirst, and none of these had wild delirium as in other
cases, but they died oppressed by a bad tendency to sleep, and stupor.
7. But there were also
other fevers, as will be described. Many had their mouths affected with
aphthous ulcerations. There were also many defluxions about the genital parts,
and ulcerations, boils (phymata), externally and internally, about the groins.
Watery ophthalmies of a chronic character, with pains; fungous excrescences of
the eyelids, externally and internally, called fig, which destroyed the sight
of many persons. There were fungous growths, in many other instances, on
ulcers, especially on those seated on the genital organs. There were many
attacks of carbuncle (anthrax) through the summer, and other affections, which
are called “the putrefaction” (seps); also large ecthymata, and large tetters
(herpetes) in many instances.
8. And many and serious
complaints attacked many persons in the region of the belly. In the first
place, tenesmus, accompanied with pain, attacked many, but more especially
children, and all who had not attained to puberty; and the most of these died.
There were many cases of lientery and of dysentery; but these were not attended
with much pain. The evacuations were bilious, and fatty, and thin, and watery;
in many instances the disease terminated in this way, with and without fever;
there were painful tormina and volvuli of a malignant kind; copious evacuations
of the contents of the guts, and yet much remained behind; and the passages did
not carry off the pains, but yielded with difficulty to the means administered;
for in most cases purgings were hurtful to those affected in this manner; many
died speedily, but in many others they held out longer. In a word, all died,
both those who had acute attacks and those who had chronic, most especially
from affections of the belly, for it was the belly which carried them all off.
9. All persons had an
aversion to food in all the afore-mentioned complaints to a degree such as I
never met with before, and persons in these complaints most especially, and
those recovering from them, and in all other diseases of a mortal nature. Some
were troubled with thirst, and some not; and both in febrile complaints and in
others no one drank unseasonably or disobeyed injunctions.
10. The urine in many cases
was not in proportion to the drink administered, but greatly in excess; and the
badness of the urine voided was great, for it had not the proper thickness, nor
concoction, nor purged properly; for in many cases purgings by the bladder
indicate favorably, but in the greatest number they indicated a melting of the
body, disorder of the bowels, pains, and a want of crisis.
11. Persons laboring under
phrenitis and causus were particularly disposed to coma; but also in all other
great diseases which occurred along with fever. In the main, most cases were
attended either by heavy coma, or by short and light sleep.
12. And many other forms of
fevers were then epidemic, of tertian, of quartan, of nocturnal, of continual,
of chronic, of erratic, of fevers attended with nausea, and of irregular
fevers. All these were attended with much disorder, for the bowels in most
cases were disordered, accompanied with rigors, sweats not of a critical
character, and with the state of the urine as described. In most instances the
disease was protracted, for neither did the deposits which took place prove
critical as in other cases; for in all complaints and in all cases there was
difficulty of crisis, want of crisis, and protraction of the disease, but most
especially in these. A few had the crisis about the eightieth day, but in most
instances it (the disease?) left them irregularly. A few of them died of dropsy
without being confined to bed. And in many other diseases people were troubled
with swelling, but more especially in phthisical cases.
13. The greatest and most
dangerous disease, and the one that proved fatal to the greatest number, was
consumption. With many persons it commenced during the winter, and of these
some were confined to bed, and others bore up on foot; the most of those died
early in spring who were confined to bed; of the others, the cough left not a
single person, but it became milder through the summer; during the autumn, all
these were confined to bed, and many of them died, but in the greater number of
cases the disease was long protracted. Most of these were suddenly attacked
with these diseases, having frequent rigors, often continual and acute fevers;
unseasonable, copious, and cold sweats throughout; great coldness, from which
they had great difficulty in being restored to heat; the bowels variously
constipated, and again immediately in a loose state, but towards the
termination in all cases with violent looseness of the bowels; a determination
downwards of all matters collected about the lungs; urine excessive, and not
good; troublesome melting. The coughs throughout were frequent, and copious,
digested, and liquid, but not brought up with much pain; and even when they had
some slight pain, in all cases the purging of the matters about the lungs went
on mildly. The fauces were not very irritable, nor were they troubled with any
saltish humors; but there were viscid, white, liquid, frothy, and copious
defluxions from the head. But by far the greatest mischief attending these and
the other complaints, was the aversion to food, as has
been described. For neither been described. For
neither had they any relish for drink along with their food, but continued
without thirst. There was heaviness of the body, disposition to coma, in most
cases swelling, which ended in dropsy; they had rigors, and were delirious
towards death.
14. The form of body peculiarly
subject to phthisical complaints was the smooth, the whitish, that resembling
the lentil; the reddish, the blue-eyed, the leucophlegmatic, and that with the
scapulae having the appearance of wings: and women in like manner, with regard
to the melancholic and subsanguineous, phrenitic and dysenteric affections
principally attacked them. Tenesmus troubled young persons of a phlegmatic
temperament. Chronic diarrhoea, acrid and viscid discharges from the bowels,
attacked those who were troubled with bitter bile.
15. To all those which have
been described, the season of spring was most inimical, and proved fatal to the
greatest numbers: the summer was the most favorable to them, and the fewest
died then; in autumn, and under the Pleiades, again there died great numbers.
It appears to me, according to the reason of things, that the coming on of
summer should have done good in these cases; for
winter coming on cures the diseases of summer, and summer coming on removes the
diseases of winter. And yet the summer in question was not of itself well
constituted, for it became suddenly hot, southerly, and calm; but, not
withstanding, it proved beneficial by producing a change on the other
constitution.
16. I look upon it as being
a great part of the art to be able to judge properly of that which has been
written. For he that knows and makes a proper use of these things, would appear
to me not likely to commit any great mistake in the art. He ought to learn
accurately the constitution of every one of the seasons, and of the diseases;
whatever that is common in each constitution and disease is good, and whatever
is bad; whatever disease will be protracted and end in death, and whatever will
be protracted and end in recovery; which disease of an acute nature will end in
death, and which in recovery. From these it is easy to know the order of the
critical days, and prognosticate from them accordingly. And to a person who is
skilled in these things, it is easy to know to whom, when, and how aliment
ought to be administered.
CASE I.
In Thasus, the Parian who lodged above the Temple of Diana
was seized with an acute fever, at first of a continual and ardent type;
thirsty, inclined to be comatose at first, and afterwards troubled with
insomnolency; bowels disordered at the beginning, urine thin. On the sixth day,
passed oily urine, was delirious. On the seventh, all the symptoms were
exacerbated; had no sleep, but the urine of the same characters, and the
understanding disordered; alvine dejections bilious and fatty. On the eighth, a
slight epistaxis; small vomiting of verdigris-green matters; slept a little. On the ninth, in the same state. On the tenth, all the
symptoms gave way. On the eleventh, he sweated, but not over the whole body; he
became cold, but immediately recovered his heat again. On the fourteenth, acute
fever; discharges bilious, thin, and copious; substances floating in the urine;
he became incoherent. On the seventeenth, in a painful state, for he had no sleep, and the fever was more intense. On
the twentieth, sweated all over; apyrexia, dejections bilious; aversion to
food, comatose. On the twenty-fourth, had a relapse.
On the thirty-fourth, apyrexia; bowels not confined; and he again recovered his
heat. Fortieth, apyrexia, bowels confined for no long time, aversion to food;
had again slight symptoms of fever, and throughout in an irregular form;
apyrexia at times, and at others not; for if the fever intermitted, and was
alleviated for a little, it immediately relapsed again; he used much and
improper food; sleep bad; about the time of the relapse he was delirious;
passed thick urine at that time, but troubled, and of bad characters; bowels at
first confined, and again loose; slight fevers of a continual type; discharges
copious and thin. On the hundred and twentieth day he died. In this patient the
bowels were constantly from the first either loose, with bilious, liquid, and
copious dejections, or constipated with hot and undigested faeces; the urine
throughout bad; for the most part coma, or insomnolency with pain; continued
aversion to food. Ardent fever.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the weakness produced by the fever, the phrenitis, and
affection of the hypochondrium caused death on the hundred and twentieth day.
CASE II. In Thasus, the woman who lodged
near the Cold Water, on the third day after delivery of a daughter, the lochial
discharge not taking place, was seized with acute fever, accompanied with
rigors. But a considerable time before delivery she was feverish, confined to
bed, and loathed her food. After the rigor which took place, continual and
acute fevers, with rigors. On the eighth and following days, was very
incoherent, and immediately afterwards became collected; bowels disordered,
with copious, thin, watery, and bilious stools; no thirst. On the eleventh was
collected, but disposed to coma; urine copious, thin, and black; no sleep. On
the twentieth, slight chills, and immediately afterwards was warm; slight
incoherence; no sleep; with regard to the bowels, in the same condition; urine
watery, and copious. On the twenty-seventh, free from fever; bowels
constipated; not long afterwards violent pain of the right hip-joint for a
considerable time; fevers afterwards supervened; urine watery. On the fortieth,
complaints about the hip-joint better; continued coughs, with copious, watery
sputa; bowels constipated; aversion to food; urine the same; fever not leaving
her entirely, but having paroxysms in an irregular form, sometimes present,
sometimes not. On the sixtieth, the coughs left her without a crisis, for no
concoction of the sputa took place, nor any of the usual abscesses; jaw on the
right side convulsively retracted; comatose, was again incoherent, and
immediately became collected; utter aversion to food; the jaw became relaxed;
alvine discharges small, and bilious; fever more acute, affected with rigors;
on the following days lost her speech, and again became collected, and talked.
On the eightieth she died. In this case the urine throughout was black, thin,
and watery; coma supervened; there was aversion to food, aversion to food,
despondency, and insomnolency; irritability, restlessness; she was of a
melancholic turn of mind.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the suppression of the lochial discharge caused death on
the day.
CASE III. In Thasus, Pythion, who was lodged
above the Temple
of Hercules, from labor,
fatigue, and neglected diet, was seized with strong rigor and acute fever;
tongue dry, thirsty, and bilious; had no sleep; urine darkish, eneorema
floating on the top of the urine, did not subside. On the second day, about
noon, coldness of the extremities, especially about the hands and head; loss of
speech and of articulation; breathing short for a considerable time; recovered
his heat; thirst; passed the night quietly; slight sweats about the head. On
the third, passed the day in a composed state; in the evening, about sunset,
slight chills; nausea, agitation; passed the night in a painful state; had no
sleep; small stools of compact faeces passed from the bowels. On the fourth, in
the morning, composed; about noon all the symptoms became exacerbated;
coldness, loss of speech, and of articulation; became worse; recovered his heat
after a time; passed black urine, having substances floating in it; the night
quiet; slept. On the fifth, seemed to be lightened, but a painful weight about
the belly; thirsty, passed the night in a painful state. On the sixth, in the
morning, in a quiet state; in the evening the pains greater; had a paroxysm; in
the evening the bowels properly opened by a small clyster; slept at night. On
the seventh, during the day, in a state of nausea, somewhat disturbed; passed
urine of the appearance of oil; at night, much agitation, was incoherent, did
not sleep. On the eighth, in the morning, slept a little; but immediately
coldness, loss of speech, respiration small and weak; but in the evening
recovered his heat again; was delirious, but towards day was somewhat
lightened; stools small, bilious, and unmixed. On the ninth, affected with
coma, and with nausea when roused; not very thirsty; about sunset he became
restless and incoherent; passed a bad night. On the tenth, in the morning, had
become speechless; great coldness; acute fever; much perspiration; he died. His
sufferings were on the even days.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the excessive sweats caused death on the tenth day.
CASE IV. The patient affected with
phrenitis, having taken to bed on the first day, vomited largely of
verdigris-green and thin matters; fever, accompanied with rigors, copious and
continued sweats all over; heaviness of the head and neck, with pain; urine
thin, substances floating in the urine small, scattered, did not subside; had
copious dejections from the bowels; very delirious; no sleep. On the second, in
the morning, loss of speech; acute fever; he sweated, fever did not leave him;
palpitations over the whole body, at night, convulsions. On the third, all the
symptoms exacerbated; he died.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the sweats and convulsions caused death.
CASE V. In Larissa, a man, who was bald,
suddenly was seized with pain in the right thigh; none of the things which were
administered did him any good. On the first day, fever acute, of the ardent
type, not agitated, but the pains persisted. On the second, the pains in the
thigh abated, but the fever increased; somewhat tossed about; did not sleep;
extremities cold; passed a large quantity of urine, not of a good character. On
the third, the pain of the thigh ceased; derangement of the intellect,
confusion, and much tossing about. On the fourth, about noon, he died. An acute disease.
CASE VI. In Abdera, Pericles was seized with
a fever of the acute, continual type, with pain; much thirst, nausea, could not
retain his drink; somewhat swelled about the spleen, with heaviness of the
head. On the first day, had hemorrhage from the left nostril, but still the
fever became more violent; passed much muddy, white urine, which when allowed
to stand did not subside. On the second day, all the symptoms were exacerbated,
yet the urine was thick, and more inclined to have a sediment; the nausea less;
he slept. On the third, fever was milder; abundance of urine, which was
concocted, and had a copious sediment; passed a quiet night. On the fourth, had
a copious and warm sweat all over about noon; was free of fever, had a crisis,
no relapse. An acute affection.
CASE VII. In Abdera, the young woman who was
lodged in the Sacred Walk was seized with an ardent fever. She was thirsty, and
could not sleep; had menstruation for the first time. On the sixth, much
nausea, flushing, was chilly, and tossed about. On the seventh, in the same
state; urine thin,but of a good color; no disturbance
about the bowels. On the eighth, deafness, acute fever, insomnolency, nausea,
rigors, became collected; urine the same. On the ninth, in the same state, and
also on the following days; thus the deafness persisted. On the fourteenth,
disorder of the intellect; the fever abated. On the
seventeenth, a copious hemorrhage from the nose; the deafness slightly better;
and on the following days, nausea, deafness, and incoherence. On the
twentieth, pain of the feet; deafness and delirium left her; a small hemorrhage
from the nose; sweat, apyrexia. On the twenty-fourth, the fever returned,
deafness again; pain of the feet remained; incoherence. On the twenty-seventh,
had a copious sweat, apyrexia; the deafness left her; the pain of her feet
partly remained; in other respects had a complete crisis.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the restoration of health on the twentieth day was the
result of the evacuation of urine.
CASE
VIII. In Abdera,
Anaxion, who was lodged near the with Thracian Gates, was seized with an acute
fever; pain of the right dry cough, without expectoration during the first
days, thirst, insomnolency; urine well colored, copious, and thin. On the sixth, delirious; no relief from the warm applications.
On the seventh, in a painful state, for the fever while the pains
did not abate, and the cough was troublesome, and attended with dyspnoea.
On the eighth, I opened a vein at the elbow, and much blood, of a proper
character, flowed; the pains were abated, but the dry coughs continued. On the
eleventh, the fever diminished; slight sweats about the head; coughs, with more
liquid sputa; he was relieved. On the twentieth, sweat, apyrexia; but after the
crisis he was thirsty, and the expectorations were not good. On the
twenty-seventh the fever relapsed; he coughed, and brought up much concocted
sputa: sediment in the urine copious and white; he became free of thirst, and
the respiration was good. On the thirty-fourth, sweated all
over, apyrexia general crisis.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the evacuation of the sputa brought about the recovery on
the thirty-fourth day.
CASE IX. In Abdera, Heropythus, while still
on foot, had pain in the head, and not long afterwards he took to bed; he lived
near the High Street. Was seized with acute fever of the ardent type; vomitings
at first of much bilious matter; thirst; great restlessness; urine thin, black,
substances sometimes floating high in it, and sometimes not; passed the night
in a painful state; paroxysms of the fever diversified, and for the most part irregular.
About the fourteenth day, deafness; the fever increased; urine the same. On the twentieth and following days, much delirium. On the
thirtieth, copious hemorrhage from the nose, and became more collected;
deafness continued, but less; the fever diminished; on the following days,
frequent hemorrhages, at short intervals. About the sixtieth, the hemorrhages
ceased, but violent pain of the hip-joint, and increase of fever. Not long
afterwards, pains of all the inferior rule, that
either the fever and deafness increased, or, pains of the inferior parts were
increased. About the eightieth day, all the complaints gave way, without
leaving any behind; for the urine was of a good color, and had a copious sediment, while the delirium became less. About
the hundredth day, disorder of the bowels, with copious and bilious
evacuations, and these continued for a considerable time, and again assumed the
dysenteric form with pain; but relief of all the other complaints. On the
whole, the fevers went off, and the deafness ceased. On the
hundred and twentieth day, had a complete crisis. Ardent
fever.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the bilious discharge brought about the recovery on the
hundred and twentieth day.
CASE X. In Abdera, Nicodemus was seized
with fever from venery and drinking. At the commencement he was troubled with
nausea and cardialgia; thirsty, tongue was parched; urine thin and dark. On the
second day, the fever exacerbated; he was troubled with rigors and nausea; had
no sleep; vomited yellow bile; urine the same; passed a quiet night, and slept.
On the third, a general remission; amelioration; but about
sunset felt again somewhat uncomfortable; passed an uneasy night. On the
fourth, rigor, much fever, general pains; urine thin, with substances floating
in it; again a quiet night. On the fifth, all the symptoms remained, but there
was an amelioration. On the sixth, some general pains;
substances floating in the urine; very incoherent. On the
seventh, better. On the eighth, all the other symptoms abated. On the
tenth, and following days, there were pains, but all less; in this case
throughout, the paroxysms and pains were greater on the even days. On the
twentieth, the urine white and thick, but when allowed to stand had no
sediment; much sweat; seemed to be free from fever; but again in the evening he
became hot, with the same pains, rigor, thirst, slightly incoherent. On the
twenty-fourth, urine copious, white, with an abundant sediment; a copious and
warm sweat all over; apyrexia; the fever came to its crisis.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that the cure was owing to the bilious evacuations and the
sweats.
CASE XI. In Thasus, a woman, of a
melancholic turn of mind, from some accidental cause of sorrow, while still
going about, became affected with loss of sleep, aversion to food, and had
thirst and nausea. She lived near the Pylates, upon the Plain. On the first, at
the commencement of night, frights, much talking, despondency, slight fever; in
the morning, frequent spasms, and when they ceased, she was incoherent and
talked obscurely; pains frequent, great and continued. On the second, in the
same state; had no sleep; fever more acute. On the third, the spasms left her;
but coma, and disposition to sleep, and again awaked, started up, and could not
contain herself; much incoherence; acute fever; on that night a copious sweat
all over; apyrexia, slept, quite collected; had a crisis. About the third day,
the urine black, thin, substances floating in it generally round, did not fall
to the bottom; about the crisis a copious menstruation.
CASE XII. In Larissa, a young unmarried woman
was seized with a fever of the acute and ardent type; insomnolency, thirst;
tongue sooty and dry; urine of a good color, but thin. On the second, in an
uneasy state, did not sleep. On the third, alvine discharges copious, watery,
and greenish, and on the following days passed such with relief. On the fourth, passed a small quantity of thin urine, having
substances floating towards its surface, which did not subside; was delirious
towards night. On the sixth, a great hemorrhage from the nose; a chill,
with a copious and hot sweat all over; apyrexia, had a crisis. In the fever,
and when it had passed the crisis, the menses took place for the first time, for
she was a young woman. Throughout she was oppressed with nausea, and rigors;
redness of the face; pain of the eyes; heaviness of the head; she had no
relapse, but the fever came to a crisis. The pains were on the even days.
CASE
XIII.
Apollonius, in Abdera, bore up (under the fever?) for some time, without
betaking himself to bed. His viscera were enlarged, and for a considerable time
there was a constant pain about the liver, and then he became affected with
jaundice; he was flatulent, and of a whitish complexion. Having eaten beef, and
drunk unseasonably, he became a little heated at first, and betook himself to
bed, and having used large quantities of milk, that of goats and sheep, and
both boiled and raw, with a bad diet otherwise, great mischief was occasioned
by all these things; for the fever was exacerbated, and of the food taken
scarcely any portion worth mentioning was passed from the bowels; the urine was
thin and scanty; no sleep; troublesome meteorism; much thirst; disposition to
coma; painful swelling of the right hypochondrium; extremities altogether
coldish; slight incoherence, forgetfulness of everything he said; he was beside
himself. About the fourteenth day after he betook himself to bed, had a rigor,
became heated, and was seized with furious delirium; loud cries, much talking,
again composed, and then coma came on; afterwards the bowels disordered, with
copious, bilious, unmixed, and undigested stools; urine black, scanty, and
thin; much restlessness; alvine evacuations of varied characters, either black,
scanty, and verdigrisgreen, or fatty, undigested, and acrid; and at times the
dejections resembled milk. About the twenty-fourth, enjoyed a calm; other
matters in the same state; became somewhat collected; remembered nothing that
had happened since he was confined to bed; immediately afterwards became
delirious; every symptom rapidly getting worn. About the thirtieth, acute
fever; stools copious and thin; was delirious; extremities cold; loss of
speech. On the thirty-fourth he died. In this case, as far as I saw, the bowels
were disordered; urine thin and black; disposition to coma; insomnolency;
extremities cold; delirious throughout. Phrenitis.
CASE XIV. In Cyzicus, a woman who had brought
forth twin daughters, after a difficult labor, and in whom the lochial
discharge was insufficient, at first was seized with an acute fever, attended
with chills; heaviness of the head and neck, with pain; insomnolency from the
commencement; she was silent, sullen, and disobedient; urine thin, and devoid
of color; thirst, nausea for the most part; bowels irregularly disordered, and
again constipated. On the sixth, towards night, talked much incoherently; had
no sleep. About the eleventh day was seized with wild delirium, and again
became collected; urine black, thin, and again deficient, and of an oily
appearance; copious, thin, and disordered evacuations from the bowels. On the
fourteenth, frequent convulsions;extremities cold; not
in anywise collected; suppression of urine. On the sixteenth
loss of speech. On the seventeenth, she died. Phrenitis.
Explanation
of the characters.
It is probable that death was caused, on the seventeenth day, by the affection
of the brain consequent upon her accouchement.
CASE XV. In Thasus, the wife of Dealces, who
was lodged upon the Plain, from sorrow was seized with an acute fever, attended
with chills. From first to last she wrapped herself up in her bedclothes; still
silent, she fumbled, picked, bored, and gathered hairs (from them); tears, and
again laughter; no sleep; bowels irritable, but passed nothing; when directed,
drank a little; urine thin and scanty; to the touch of the hand the fever was
slight; coldness of the extremities. On the ninth, talked much incoherently,
and again became composed and silent. On the fourteenth, breathing rare, large,
at intervals; and again hurried respiration. On the sixteenth, looseness of the
bowels from a stimulant clyster; afterwards she passed her drink, nor could
retain anything, for she was completely insensible; skin parched and tense. On
the twentieth, much talk, and again became composed; loss of speech;
respiration hurried. On the twenty-first she died. Her respiration throughout
was rare and large; she was totally insensible; always wrapped up in her
bedclothes; either much talk, or completely silent throughout. Phrenitis.
CASE XVI. In Meliboea, a young man having
become heated by drinking and much venery, was confined to bed; he was affected
with rigors and nausea; insomnolency and absence of thirst. On the first day
much faeces passed from the bowels along with a copious flux; and on the
following days he passed many watery stools of a green color; urine thin,
scanty, and deficient in color; respiration rare, large, at long intervals;
softish distention of the hypochondrium, of an oblong form, on both sides;
continued palpitation in the epigastric region throughout; passed urine of an
oily appearance. On the tenth, he had calm delirium, for he was naturally of an
orderly and quiet disposition; skin parched and tense; dejections either
copious and thin, or bilious and fatty. On the fourteenth, all the symptoms
were exacerbated; he became delirious, and talked much incoherently. On the
twentieth, wild delirium, On the twentieth, wild
delirium, jactitation, passed no urine; small drinks were retained. On
the twenty-fourth he died. Phrenitis.
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