raised above the sunace, but which disappear on pressure, and
quickly return when the finger is removed. At first, only two
or three make their appearance, and are liable to be over-
looked. More come out, but they are very variable in number;
in ordinary cases, about a dozen. In forty-eight hours thfese
spots fade out, and are replaced by fresh ones; this crop also
fades as the former, and is replaced by another, and so on.
The probable severity and danger bear some relation to the
number of the spots; the abdomen feels hard, and is tender,
but more particularly just above the right groin. The tongue
is furred in the centre and red at the tip, as the diarrhoea con-
tinues, the motions being loose, sometimes quite black, at other
times light-colored.. If this continue, the tongue becomes
ulcerated, brown, and dry. The teeth become caked over with
a brown matter called "sordes," and there is great thirst. The
pulse ranges between 90 and 120. The temperature will reach
102 degrees to 104 degrees. The patient may become deliri-
ous, but this does not always denote that the disease will assume
a serious form. In favorable cases the improvement is gener-
ally slow. It is indicated by the number of stools diminishing
and becoming more and more solid. The spots disappear, the
skin becomes cooler and moist, the appetite returns, and, as
convalesence progresses, sometimes becomes ravenous. The
appetite requires to be carefully controlled during convalescence.
Ulceration of the bowels being the dangerous tendency of the
fever, indiscretion in diet will easily induce a relapse.
Treatment.— The diet is an important point in the treat-
ment of the disease. It should. consist of light fluid food,
easy of digestion; nothing solid should on any account be
given. The patient should have milk and beef tea, coffee or
tea; arrowroot or gruel are both useful. The staple article of
diet should be milk during the first ten or twelve days, unless
symptoms of extreme debility should occur, in which case
beef tea and port wine may be given. Soups also may be
given, but care must be taken that they are clear from indi-
gestible fibres of meat and vegetable. '
The administration of wine is often a most difficult problem
in the treatment of fever. If the signs of debility are so evi-
dent as to render prostration imminent, an ounce of port wine,
or even brandy, may be given every four or six hours; but it is
iiecessary to caution the reader not to mistake the feeling of
weakness, which is an inseparable attendant on fever, for dan-
gerous debility. A vastly larger proportion of cases would do
well without stimulants than is generally believed. It may be
a help to the determination of the question if we point out
some symptoms that will call for the use of alcoholic stimu-
lants. These are great fluctuations in the number of the pulse
MiEDICINAL. m
Page 273
Presented as published in 1883. 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
raised above the sunace, but which disappear on pressure, and quickly return when the finger is removed. At first, only two or three make their appearance, and are liable to be overlooked. More come out, but they are very variable in number; in ordinary cases, about a dozen. In forty-eight hours these spots fade out, and are replaced by fresh ones; this crop also fades as the former, and is replaced by another, and so on. The probable severity and danger bear some relation to the number of the spots; the abdomen feels hard, and is tender, but more particularly just above the right groin. The tongue is furred in the centre and red at the tip, as the diarrhoea continues, the motions being loose, sometimes quite black, at other times light-colored. If this continue, the tongue becomes ulcerated, brown, and dry.The teeth become caked over with a brown matter called "sordes," and there is great thirst. The pulse ranges between 90 and 120. The temperature will reach 102 degrees to 104 degrees. The patient may become delirious, but this does not always denote that the disease will assume a serious form. In favorable cases the improvement is generally slow. It is indicated by the number of stools diminishing and becoming more and more solid. The spots disappear, the skin becomes cooler and moist, the appetite returns, and, as convalesence progresses, sometimes becomes ravenous. The appetite requires to be carefully controlled during convalescence. Ulceration of the bowels being the dangerous tendency of the fever, indiscretion in diet will easily induce a relapse.
Treatment.— The diet is an important point in the treatment of the disease. It should. consist of light fluid food, easy of digestion; nothing solid should on any account be given. The patient should have milk and beef tea, coffee or tea; arrowroot or gruel are both useful. The staple article of diet should be milk during the first ten or twelve days, unless symptoms of extreme debility should occur, in which case beef tea and port wine may be given. Soups also may be given, but care must be taken that they are clear from indigestible fibres of meat and vegetable. '
The administration of wine is often a most difficult problem in the treatment of fever. If the signs of debility are so evident as to render prostration imminent, an ounce of port wine, or even brandy, may be given every four or six hours; but it is necessary to caution the reader not to mistake the feeling of weakness, which is an inseparable attendant on fever, for dangerous debility. A vastly larger proportion of cases would do well without stimulants than is generally believed. It may be a help to the determination of the question if we point out some symptoms that will call for the use of alcoholic stimulants. These are great fluctuations in the number of the pulse