The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1847-10-21

lcans Delta, the following cNlrac, OF n com
municalian, which appeared in recent
nnmacr ot that paper:
What Is Fever? And what il its mme-
diatc cause? Without entering into pro.
icssional technicalilcs, the immedintc cause
OF fever is cold applied to one of .hc mos,
important organs u, ,lc body. viz: the skin
by which its oilirc becomes fur time
more or less destroy ed. The skin is ,l.,
largest cNcretorN cTEan 1T the body, md
second To none III the Importance 81 its
tnnciion. Its function canno, he checked
enc instant without more or less injury 1.
the body. What becomes then ol all this
refuse matter which has ceased IL pcr>pire
from the skin, perhaps for several hours!
" u. nt course. thrown upon the Internal
organs-'hcmselves perhaps MT in the vc.
~ best condition beforehand the whole
system becomes vi,iiicd anl iisortcrcl:
Just IN the way TINT house would lie il
one oi lis principal! drains was stopped up.
thus preventing the eX, Of al the sleps
aud refuse.
Bat what docs Nature d.? Docs Nature
make IN effort? II she did not. il would
lac q solitary exception ~ her general con-
duct. Bat she does mike mn effort. and n
yer, powerful effort. and ono M beautiful
rs il is powerful. The recession Of all this
ma'tcr Upon tho internal organs cNcilcs
them In act with double vigor Ia cndcnvor
tn throw I'll their increased burden Of vi
tinted matter; ihns, the Liver ats some.
times inordnately, increasing the flow al
bile ~ ever, direction. iingcs the eyes and
the skin. (!rom which circumstances 'ho
name at Yellow Fever hns very absurd,
been derived rs though IL were more ,l,an
casual symphony rcanrei,a,cs into the
stomach, producing sickness, les, the pm
ticnt should he inclined 10 cnt. which would
do him harm The Iicnr, nso beats vio-
len'ly, aud with the same view. viz: Ia on
denver 10 throw oil this pcrnicious matter
again Ia the skin. aud 10 restore the los,
equilibrium nf the system; mud So violently
Dies the Heart generally heat that the con-
sequence is n burning rcd-hot skin, which
nsnnIlv terminates in perspiration, md il
IL, alone. in n great majority 81 eases. Ma
tarc would do her own business.
This should never he los, sight of---thai
Ercr is nothing more than the process
rhich Nature herself SETS up 10 right
herseit ajicr she has rcceircd an inja.
~ But tho ph,sician is called in.
aud he finds Nature nj her work; he
finds the patient with Il humping pulse,
mud n burning rca-hot skin; all the score.
irons and eXcreIians great, dcranged aud
what does he do? Docs he lend helping
hand. and assist her, aud soothc her, and
cenx her in the good work she is about?
oh, NJ! lie orders bleeding in some form
or other. and thus wrcs,s from Natures
hnnd that very insirlmcn, with which sl.c
is cndcnvoring with nll her might To RICH,
herself! New is not this cruel. Ia use no
hnrsher word? Well Whit il the consc-
qnence? Increased debility cnsues, per-
llaps wandering, GOODNESS of the skin md
estrcmilics, may hc, collapse; qnninc is
poured in 10 net upon the organs requiring
rest md soothng from previous violent cx.
ertion the whole nervous system is thrown
into great excitement, the brain becomes
affected. great pras,ratien occurs; Scotch
ale and London porter are Ind recourse TO.
which add still more 10 the work oi coniu.
sion; the stomach cnn no longer stand up
against MI this abuse. md in its ngonies
pours out highly carhcnizcd vcnous blood.
which uniting will, the foul sccrciions mud
matters therein, is emitted under the nnme
# Black Vomii, aud dclirum aud death
close the scene.
Now. ! seemnv appeal To the candor III
the more enlightened aud honest of the
profession, aud to the general experience
Of the public, il this he If plain and cor
rect statement Of whit is now passing III
this city? Good God! Scotch alc and Lon
dor porter to n man ra,ing with ncnte e..
yer; ns it il were necessary TO send him
Keeling drunk into the presence Of his Ma.
krr!
| Il onght never Ia he forgotten that whaf.
erer tonic or stimulaui. whefhcr IN form Of
| food ar medicine: il taken into the stomach
IF ono lahoring under .fercr. feeds Maf f..
rer at the erpensc Of tie strength Of the pa
ticnt. The use Of quininc in fever, espc.
cial!y acute fever, is contrary TO common
sense, contrary to sound science, contrary
TO all experience, and contrary TO the con
slant practice Of tho most accomplished
phy sirians of the day.
The very men who use quininc do not
pretend to explain i,s nc,inn--ihcy know
nothing about it. They snv il ism spc-
cific! A specific! Medical science knurs
Of no specific in disease. Il is cloak
fr ignorance. Quininc is no specific
hut though useful medicine, il is in ncu,e
fever most destructive agent. The action
&c quinine il as paIpablc and rs well known
MS thu, Of nny other medicine Of, Mate
rim Mcdicn. Il is u very powerful tonic
Il. g., II gives strength, to tho whole mnscn