The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-21
RHEUM UMATISM.
THE MANY FORMS OF THIS COM
MON AFFECTION.

The Cause of Rheumatic Fever
Symptoms OF fInflammatory Rheu-
matism-Mode of Treatment
| Chronic rheumatism.
The manner in which chilling of thu
surface of the body acts to set up al
attack of rheumatic fever is still un
known. It is very certain that an aci,
Tactic, the same that is found in soul
milk-is the great mischief-maker IN
this disease. This acid is always formed
when muscles are exercised, and is de-
composed and sent ont of the body by
way of the lungs and skin. A chilling
of the body seems to prevent this get.
ting rid of poisonous substance, and
the various inhammatory troubles are
set up by it. After they have once be-
gun it appears that they may continue
for some time in spite Of the acid being
properly disposed of afterward. This
acid has been given as q medicine IN
some other affections, and number OF
cases are recorded in which rheumatic
| joint troubles have followed with GER
tainty a. soon as certain (not very
large) quantity had been given. Another
reason for the baneful effects Of chill
| occurring after excessive exertion IS that
the Joints are then in a weakened con-
| dition from overuse, therefore more dis
posed to become diseased than any other
part of the body, except the heart, which
! is in the same exhausted condition, has
about the same kind Of structure as the
joints, and is, consequently, at that time,
very liable to suffer in the same way.
The symptoms distinctive of ''infam-
matory rheumatism" are usually pre-
ceded for one, two or three days by in
definite feelings of being ''out of sorts, y
such as WEAKNESS, dragging pains in the
limbs, loss of appetite, etc. Then sets
in moderate fever, beginning with a
sharp chill or by chilly feelings, head
ache, thirst, the pulse and breathing
being quickened to correspond with the
joints, almost always lone of the larger
ones, becomes painful. If it is one near
the surface, it is noticed to be swollen
and more or less Redeemed. In few
hours, or day or two, another joint is
attacked in the same way, the one first
affected becoming better, as rule, but
not always. The more joints there are
affected at once the higher the fever.
Thus, nearly every jointin the body may
become affected; frequently all the
larger ones, hip, knee, shoulder and
elbow, are infamed together. The pain
is intense and made worse by the slight
est movement. A heavy step upon the
floor causes the vibrations to be trans
mitted to the sensitive surfaces, and
causes untold agony. Sometimes the pain
is far greater than the amount of evident
Inflammation would seem to account for,
and it is frequently worse toward even
ing. The skin is bathed in perspiration,
and does not seem hot to the touch, even
when the fever runs very high. The
perspiration is sour in edor and in chemi-
cal reaction. The tongue is moist, usually
covered with whitish fur; the bowels
constipated. and the secretion of the kid
news small in amount and intensely acid.
The pain causes loss of sleep, but the
mind is generally clear. In very serious
cases the fever rises very high and delir-
ium is present. Sleeplcssness, pains in
the joints and the profuse sweating cause
all the discomforts of which the sufferer
complains in most cases.
This state of things, unless interrupted
by proper treatment, goes on for three to
six weeks. New joints are attacked, or
the pains and Inflammation return to
those they had abandoned. The invalid
loses flesh and strength, but recover' in
large majority of cases. Sometimes
one Joint does not regain its natural
condition, but remains more or less
swollen and painful. In few cases
two or three joints are affected and these
not very severely. In these, the fever
never runs high and the disease may ter
inmate in from eight to fourteen days.
In others, the fever rises to 106 to 10S
degrees Fahrenheit, the pulse becomes
enormously quickened, delirium followed
Inconsistencies and death occurs. For
tunately such cases are rare. In drunk
ards and those whose constitutions have
been broken by previous disease, wild
delirium like delirium trcmens may set
in, especially toward evening, when the
fever is highest. In these the symptoms
are apt to become aggravated and 60 on
to fatal termination in the second or
third week of the disease.
Although rheumatism of this variety
will undoubtedly get we'll if not treated
! with any drugs, is in fact self-limited
disease, still we have it in our power to
lessen the danger of heart complications,
give ease to the sufferer, and cut the dis
ease short in a large proportion of in
stances, provided more than one joint is
affected.
The alkalies, bicarbonate of soda, pot
ash of lithium, should be given in large
doses GO, 80 to- 60 grains)
every few hours, until the
acid in the blood and tissues become
neutralized. This is known by the Sc
cretion of the kidneys becoming alkaline.
The alkali may be given with lemon
Juice, with which it forms an eFerves-
cling drink that is not very disagreeable.
Whatever else is done, the alkalies should
not be neglected. Salicylic acid, or
salicylate of soda, seems to act as a spe-
cifc in controlling the inflammation in
large proportion of cases. One of these
should be given along with the alkalies,
for it does not insure safety from heart
complications, until about f20 grains
have been given. This amount should
Lo f,l u,;tbsn four bourc to