The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-08
The Treatment of Fevers

In the current number OF the Forum DR..
Austin Flint has an interesting article on
Late Theories Concerning Fevers." Fe-
vers are OF two varieties, symptomatic and
esse 3tial. In the former variety the fever
is secondary, and is due TO some local cause.
In the latter variety the fever is primary,
and is due TO some general agent. In man
the temperature Of the blood is between
9S' and 100 Fahrenheit. and fever
is the raising of this temperature above the
normal point Violent exercise frequently
raises the temperature considerably above
the normal point, but there is increased
action OF the skin and the excess of heat is
quickly carried off. The human body
cannot resist an internal temperature of
l04' for more than few days, and an in
ternal temperature of 1857 is, as rule,
fatal
When there is excessive heat there is ex-
cessive oxidation. Something is being con-
sumed in the production of the excessive heat.
If there is no food in the stomach for the
heat TO consume then the tissues are con-
sumed. The consumption cannot go on
very long before there is such degeneration
Of the tissues that death is inevitable.
The question is, how can the excess of
heat be got rid of! 1t cannot lie worked off
through the skin, because that safety valve
is closed, and it cannot be converted into
force, tecause the patient is confined to his
bed and cannot work.
Lately anti-pyretic and anti-febrin agents
have been employed to reduce the tenn
perature. These agents do reduce it, but
many physicians are in doubt about the
advisability of using them. They are far
from admitting that the rate of mortality
is reduced by their use.
DR.. Flint calls attention to the use of cold
water baths for abstracting the excess heat
from the body. The method is to
put the patient in water Of a tenn
perature of co. for fifteen minutes
every three hours, as long as the tempera-
ture remains as high as 103 Some sur
prising results have followed this treat
ment. DIR. Flint mentions that in 2,l50
cases of typhoid fever, collected from
various sources by Brand, which were sub
jected to this treatment before the lift hday
Of the fever, there did not occur a single
death. OF course the patient in being put
into and taken out Of the water has to be
handled very tenderly.
DIR. Flint also calls attention to the good
results that follow the feeding" of fevers.
As already remarked, the heat must have
something to consume. As a general thing
the stomach of a fever patient cannot
assimilate food, and. therefore, it refuses it.
There being no food for the heat to con-
sumo, IL consumes the tissues of the body.
1t is argued that il this consumption of the
tissues can be arrested until the fever runs
its course, the patients life may be saved.
Alcohol serves the purpose of food. The
stomach of the patient will retain it, and it
becomes fuel for the heat. The blood takes
it no at once and the consumption of
the tissues ceases Alcohol has been known
to lower the temperature of the blood, and
a fever patient can take an immense
amount of it without being in the least in
toxicated. As soon as it has an intoxica-
ting effect it is advisable to cease admins
tering it.
This is only a brief statement OF some of
the points in DR.. Flints article, but it shows
that the question of the treatment of fevers
is one that is being constantly discussed,
and that there is reason to believe that new
light with regard to it is being constantly
received.