Southern telegraph., 1836-07-08
original COrnmunica1ion.--
REMARKS ON FEVER,
BX VIM. G. WILLIAMS, Va. ID.
Of Rodney, Mississippi.
lCoNTINUED.1

In addition to what has been said. a cause
can be shown to exist, sufficient. freouentlv.
to produce the state Of things observed upon
dissection, viz: Inflammation; and | CON
slder the fact sufficiently established, that.
although the disease may be modified and
PrOtracted by its occurrence, the phenome
ma constituting fever are not necessarily de-
pendent on local inflammation for their de.
veloPment All fevcrs have cold stage.
which varies, from slight sense Of chilli
ness to the extreme Of an intermittent. Per-
sons sometimes die without reaction BEING
established; and it is evident, from an OK.
animation of such cases after death. that the
violence which some structures sustain dur
Ing this stage is frequently sufficient to ori
gInate inflammation The liver has been
found SO congested that its structure vas
destroyed: the vessels Of the brain distend-
ed with blood. Dr.. Cartwright mentions
that, in some cases, the mass or fluid a. the
heart was SO great that it could not ba
moved, and tina! the heart was found en-
laTged. | do not wish to be understood ne
contendIng that inflammation aIwavs occurs
as consequence Of the injury sustained
during the congestive stage Of fever. Re.
action is often established, and the morbid
excitement continues for considerable time
before any symptoms Of local inflammation
are developed. What wish to show IS. that
during the stage Of congestion, some parts
may suffer in such manner that the yes-
sells Of :hese parts are rendered incapable
Of sending on the blood as fast as it IS sent
into them, and that from this cause local
congestions are frequently established. Il
IS an opinion entertained by some that The
poison Of fever (miasmata) becomes mixed
with the saliva, is thus swallowed, and acts
upon the mucous coat Of the stomach. Pro-
iessor Caldwell, in his Analysis of Fever.
says he "saw case Of disease produced
by swallowing muriate Of mercury, which
resembled yellow fever when highly mali.
nant, in its access stage Of excitement. CO.
Tor Of the skin and discharges from the sto-
mach and bowels; the appearance Of the
eyes and countenance generally, and II
the occurrence Of hemorrhage from various
parts Of the body; and that It was mistaken
BY physician Of great experience, sagaci,y
and Judgment, for yellow fever. Bato he
continues, " IF ~ local impression on the
stomach, muriate mercury can produce ma
lignant fever, why not a poison Of any other
description, provided it possess sufficient
strength Why not the poison Of common
bilious fever, tyPhus fever, scarlatina, or
plaguea"
The manner in which different po;.o,.
affect the system differ as widely as Al II.s ,Ss
various articles in the specific pronas,;.. S..o
which distinguish them. Thus M yess.. Fs,s.s-
ble Poisons produce death BY acting 1r,~ 1no,,.
the brain and nervous system. P,uss;r
acid, when brought in contact with ~
nerves on the surface, will produce daa,b
as certalnlyas when taken into the stomach
The mineral poisons, when taken inso N.
stomach, produce Inflammation Of tbat, a.
gan which of course will produce fever.
which, when thus developed, may assume
malignant character. But because M
rate Of mercury, in this instance, produced
disease IN some respects resembling Vel.
low fever, by acting upon the mucous coat
Of the stomach, !. is mo-, therefore, more