The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-02-27
What is a Fever?

When q man has been sick for DAYS
and weeks he begins to wonder that
people are ever well. He wonders that
he was ever well himself. Now that
he can barely manage to swallow a bit
of toast for breakfast, he wonders at his
former capacity for storing away an
entire steak and bread and butter ad
libituns.s Now that journey up or down
a single staircase exhausts all his
strength, he wonders at the vigor which
formerly sustained him during the days
labors or enabled him to swing an ak
hour after hour, or gum in hand, kept
him travelling from morn to night over
hill, mountain and dale. 1t IS gone, all
gone. His physician tells him he has
fever What is a fever? What is this
invidious thing which has gradually
sucked away all his energy, robbed him
of strength, of appetite, turned his nights
into chaos of restlessness and dreams,
put aches in his bones, nausea in his
stomach, heat in his blood and made for
him the whole world a dreary waste?
He asks his doctor. The doctor talks
of malaria, = /" bad air. " neglected
colds" "functions of the skin de-
ranged" but he does not put his learn
ed finger right on the spot. His wife
and friends tell him that he has neglect
ed himself too long, that he should have
applied to the doctor on the appearance
of the first symptoms of chill, languor
and bone-ache. But the poor victim
can recollect many and many time
when he has suffered in similar man.
ner for few days and worked through
it into health again. 1t is remarkable
how in cases of sickness our friends
are always certain as to the cause.
They knew it at the time If
you had given up work, gone to bed,
sent for the doctor ten days ago, you
would have been well man. You are
condemned on every side for being so
imprudent. But when the same train of
symptoms affect these knowing friends
they never stop their daily duties and
make business of being sick. They
likewise daily, hold out, fight the dis
ease on their feet as long as they can
and argue that it's "only cold" But
what is a fever? When does q cold
cease to be cold and turn into fever?
When does pig become a hog or q pup
q IVY VI AAttCH o CdU! Vvlr SOul0.
body explain? 1t would be sanitary
salvation for thousands to know. We
want more reliable information about
these frail bodies of ours. We are so
busy making money or trying to or get
ting bare subsistence or attending to
politics that we neglect the care and
study of our earthly tabernacles. We
leave it entirely to the doctors, whose
interest it is to keep the tabernacle out
of repair. It's only the medical priest
hood who hold conventions and discuss
diseases and their cause, Why should
not the medical laymen do SO, too?
They are very much interested parties.
Every one might bring hisorIheri pet
complaint, talk it over and tell what
remedy or diet or peculiar school of
medical treatment had been found best
for it. The doctors are not the only
people who are sick. Many of us have
valuable private experiences and CON-
plants to communicate. Let's have
Fever Convention and approximate at
least to an answer to the puzzling ques-
ton, "When does cold turn into a
fever?" ns s''i