Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-04-30

L
This. we believe. to be the present nego-
Iciatiol.N LcuI. PGn.
eoA.usicAIIoa
MR. PLEAsAYTs. W
The epidemic catarrhal
lever, or anomalous inAncnza, which has
prcva I'd during the winter 10 ti,is county,
aud for the last month III this city, has some
times ASSUMED a charac,Sr OF sreh violence,
and seems 10 be 30 little understood, as TO
induce ME TO offer some account of il 10 the
public. The disease, has most improperly
been called Typhus CT Nervcus fever by
some and P!eurisy by others. The associ.
alton oil stiInniant remedies from the begin
ming with the frs; name. and the indiscrimi-
nate and too free use of the lancet with the
latter. has been alike fatal in many cases.
Happily fer US, a very large majority Of
leases appear as common colds affecting the
head with Slight pain and a sense OF fall
mess over the eyes, with ufbng If the
nose and discharge of mucous from il, some
| little soreness of the * roat, hoarscucss, and
q cough for the most part productive or
moist This form of the complaint seldom
confines the patient during the day, and at
night the fever is very iDconsiderabe. A
dose OF medicine. or losing dinner or two
and keeping good hours, will remove j..
The more violent attack is suddenly made
by shiverings, followed by fever With All ac-
CELEBRATED pulse, which is sometimes full
and soft. occasionally hard bu. oftsner small
and contracted. The head aches violently,
the eyes are heavy and watery and often
Unframed. the nose is stuffed and discharges
mucus sometimes tinged Nth blood. Many
Ibeed from the nose, sneeze. are lfoa rse, faint
and complain of some difficulty in swallows
ing. L he bre athing is oppressed and diff
cult from the commencement. but pain is
Frequently not felt in the breast, sides or al.
Idomen until lapse of "a or SO hours, by
which time the head ache abates ard then
an acute pain is felt some where about tie
chest OF abdomen, attended with stric' ure
across the breast, and mos, difficult resrira-
tiop. The cough is now frequent and at.
tended with a splitting of white frothy mu
Gus. VIII CHI Is often streaked With blood aud
sometimes tinged with bile, but is hardly
ever puru!ent or concpctcd as in true Pleuri.
| sy. Ihe patient at this time perspiies
| freely and universally without any thing be
| ing done to excite l.. The mind during the
| day is scarcely ever disordered and is but
slightly affected with delirium during the
night. remission oftke symptoms takes
| place every morning anu III some cases the
fever rises twice in "a hours. at noon and
at midnight. The sick are generally
| utoWSy dud SiCcp nOfG anu Dctter
could be calculated ON. These symptoms go
on INCREASING, when nothing is done in time,
until the third or fourth day. when the pain
leaves the patient * his friends fla,ter Jhem-
/ selves that he is recc, ..ring-The appetite
| returns, the countenance brightens no and
| food icsished when well is now asked for.
During this appaSenhkruce, winch lasts
| from 2Ot 30 houfS the cough becomes
| short and unproductive. rattline is heard.
| and the breathing grows more and more
] difficult, untl sudden saffocation blasts the
| fond hopes Of the patient and his friends
| The mind has beer known to be corr cct, and
| toe sick to converse bur few minutes be >
! sore death. From few examinations t,f
the dead, illusions of cnagu,at;ug lymph are
found to have been made upon the surfaces
! OF such organs as sustained the greatest force
| OF the disease. The pain of The part is re
lieved by the vessels pouring out this lymph,
| which when in any quantity is always msr
| tai, but it slight may be removed by excit
ing the action of the absorbenIs by mercury.
| This is the most common form Of the
more violent disease, but there is another
mode OF attack more tobe dreaded, because
| of its more rapid progress. The force OF
| the disease is sometimes spent upon the fau>
ces or throat, producing an infammatory
| quinsy which Threatens and has accustomed
.
attack. This form is also introduced by
,hiveriDgs, head ache, stuifing of the nose
hoarseness, & excretion of white frothy mus
Gus from the throat, with very little Cough
and breathlessness. The patients rise u
from bed declaring they must choak, com
plain of giddiness & faintness and sometimes
puke. The tumefaction of the throat is not
great enough to account for these alarming
suffocative feelings. The muscles of respira
ton, and particularly OF the gottis. must DC
systematically affected. One of these par
oxysms could not be survived many minutes.
Neither the breathing nor cough resemble
croup-very large glandular swellings sonic
times occur about the throat.
IL was in this form that the Influenza ragged in
Paris in iS05-and often suffocated the Patients in
"a hours.--It was there called La Gripe.
D Local Causes and individual habits influ
ence very much the appearances Of the dis.
ease, which seldom lasts longer than DAYS.
unless neglected or mismanaged when il is
apt " terminate in fever with typhoid symp-
toms Of several days continuance, and diff,
cult to treat unless the patient be saliva
ted, which effectually cuts short the
disease.
Persons living in marshy or sunken situa,
tons and those of bilious temperaments liv,
ing any where, have very violent bilious
symptoms blended with the above They
vomit severely, and discharge very dark
matter from the bowels and complain of Sc
we're pains in the back and limbs with great
restlessncss. Some are seized with stupor
Immediately after the chill ard remain So