Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-10-23
BEDSIDE NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
ON TEE PREVAILING AICANEAe.

RFnHEDE N0TES AND OBSERVATION
ON "a PREVAILING BHGANEae.
Editors Memphis APPEAL
For the benefit OF that class Of medi.
cal men, 10 whom the disease now pre-
vslent In the city seems 10 be a hybrid
or mixed disease, and for that other pOr-
ton vino have but little bedside eXpe-
rience, I propose briefly, but succintly 10
discuss the fact, that 6y whatever name
IL is called, it Is q malignant, sweating
sickness, and this feature distinguishes Il
from other forms Of malignant fever. A
patient is seized with a shiveriPg mt, or
lehillness lasting in most cases not more
than ten or twenty minutes, succeeded
by q fever remarkable for its intensity,
accompanied by great neat of skin, pain
in the head and back, great thirst, pain
generally more or less diffused over the
body, the countenance Indicative of
much u~neasiness, nausea, conjunctiva
slightly Injected, tenderness over
the epigastrium, paucity OF urine,
etc, These symptoms constitute the most
prominent ones in the disease with which
we are now ~cOntending All at once the
whole surface Of the body is bathed in q
profuse p~erspiratiOn, having a peculiar
odor. Notwithstanding this moisture
lasting as il does throughout the entire
sickness, it does not seem 10 equalize the
circulation or diminish the temperature
of the body Then ensues a complete
p%rOstrstion OF the patient, gastric roubles
accumulate, the kidneys no longer fulfill
their office, pulse previously at 10 to l30
suddenly drops down to 90 or14u, the
patient is collapsed, and dies with marked
symptoms of uremia. Now this state oil
things can only be accounted for by the
fact that the life-principle-viz.I the
bl0Od-is becoming disintegrated by this
.exhausting and prOstratiHg perspiratton,
depriving the blood Of the very ele-
ments necessary to sustain life. How do
we prove this? By taking an analysis of
the sweat as exhibited by chemical
experiment, Berzelius, that distinguished
analytical chemist, says the sweat is
composed when visible on the surface OF
the body, of water, bactic acid, lactate Of
soda, united with a little animal matter,
chloride OF sodium, q little chloride OF
potassium, an atom Of earthly phosphate
and some oxide Of iron is colOrless, of an
dor more or less strong, q of q saline
taste. Now then, the blood is composed
of the following ingredients water, al
bumen, hbrine, an animal cOluuring
substance, a little fatty matter, and diff
ferenU salts, as chloride of potassium,
chloride Of sodium, phosphate Of lime,
sub carbonate Of soda, lime, magnesla,
oxide Of lime and IRctate of soda with
animal matter. Thus we see eliminating
from the blood by this sweating process
the very ingredients Oflife, and which are
necessary to sustain and keep up the blood
current; whiohbeing deprived, then, Of its
fluid property, it can no longer circulate,
The eLtremities become cold, and the pa
tient dies. Then If this reasoning be
correct, tits SuggestiUe-nOt only that We
may sweat our patients too much, but
that instead OF administering remedies
for the cure OF the Jeger, it might bA well
enough to check this exhausting sweat
ing process. In the treatment of this
disease, much4wil depend on the pecu-
liar temperament, habits, etc, and also
the sex of the patient; in my opinion the
indications being that w%esshOuld clearly
repair the waste going on in the system,
snd so enable it to bear up against the
exhausting and depressing effects Of the
%eutaneOus emulation.
r. ". CREIGHTON