The community of the north eastern region of Zimbabwe have identified the need to provide medical and hospital facilities for the region's population of 75000. Practical Advice Fever and how to treat it Since ancient times fever has been recognised as a sign of illness. In 400 B.C. the Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed the bark and leaves of the willow tree to relieve fever. These are now known to contain aspirin-like chemicals.
Some people still see it as a sign that the body is fighting illness.
Fever, or pyrexia to give it its medical name, is caused by the release of certain chemicals by the immune system, usually as a result of infection or inflammation. In the past many infections were rapidly fatal and fever was greatly feared, whether due to measles, flu or after childbirth. These days we have effective treatments for most infections. Even so, fever is an important sign that someone is ill, and a cause should always be established. A machine that sends electric shock waves into injured areas of the body could offer an alternative to surgery for athletes who suffer from tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and other common sports injuries.