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Show Fluctuation of Opinion and practice in fever. late respectable writer, who has rather confirmed a revived principle than improved its appli~ cation, enjoins us to abstain from applying leeches in peritonitis, till by general bleeding some diminution of pain shall have been effected (Pembcrton. abdominal viscera, p. 5). I have no comparative series of cases, treated in we shall, I apprehend, find benefit from leeches put at once to the head, chest, and stomach. in the worst possible cases of peritonitis (of which I apprehend all the varieties may be understood on the principles discussed in the preceding pages), I see this method succeed perfectly. And in many inflamruations, drawing blood from the seat ot‘diseasc so much expe- ditcs the cure, that. lapprehend this should be universally done, and as early as possible; when the affection is deep seated, blood should be Minnow ‘iN i E" drawn from the nearest skin. On applying leeches to the chest I have noticed the disappearance of sufiirsion in the eyes. We. know that the efi'cct goes deep. It will extend a foot perhaps. In the variety offever occurring independenly '7 t ot'contagion in the sensitive and studious du- feels comfortable,- but at any momenti-f' the: ascending arteries throb or the face flush, he should be raised to his middle outofthc bath, and after a bucket of water at 65° has been poured upon him, he should be taken out. The cold aff‘usion however, whether flu-shed or not-In general, this method of applying cold water is Su‘ perior to simple cold bathing; and chronic invalids who are weakened by the simple cold hath are benefited by this, as I could exemplify in nu~ merous instances, and indeed as the cold attusio-n in the heat of common typhus confirms by its analogy. On the first mention, the very persons, who calmly witness their friends in other circumstances dying in perpetual succes‘ sion under the stale and stupid experiment of saline draughts and Hotwell water, will fre~ rigors, intense headache, oppression 0F the prie- quently object to this as a hazardous measure. But reference to the habitual practice of to- cordia, quickness, impatience, heat 1070 at the reigners allays their terror, and the result never end of the first Week, and much sensibility to cold, in which Dr. Currie found veuesection, fails to prove that the method is not essentially hurtful.--I have no wish however to recom- cold afi'usion and other remedies unsuccessful, mend it in the cases of fever determined by Dr. rir-ig winter, with catarrhal spmptoms, Strong Currie. we If w‘r‘u". repeated when the skin is warm and the arterial pulsations about the head strong. The tepid bath from 93° to 95° should afterwards. he used for 15 minutes or for as long as the patient mum-p x-un ,. But Ifa dozen and half give relief they shouid be xxx. both ways, nor does he produce any such. 187 ~W 186 |