The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-11-17
FEVER AS A REMEDY

Nine out of ten laymen, even those
who purport to be educated, think the
high fever of lobar pneumonia chung
fever"D is an unfavorable feature of
the illness, and the crisis perilous
event. The physician knows that the
fever, within ordinary limitations, is
beneficent to the patient, and halls
the crisis as happy ending OF a
brave battle.
Likewise with sore throat. When
child gets acute sore throat with high
fever, We may feel reasonably assured
of the outcome of the illness, but ii
the child with the sore throat has
only little fever, then there Is rea-
son for alarm.
Certain drugs produce, as one OF
their physiological actions, lowering
of the body temperature, whether the
temperature be normal, below normal
or above normal. Old time physi-
clans, having only crude conceptions
Of pathology mature Of diseased and
therapeutics (science Of treatmeno
sometimes administered these drugs
to lower the temperature in cases OF
fever, and in every instance decreas-
ing the patients chance to win his
battle.
Not invariably but as a general rule
we must regard fever as natural
method of cure. In explanation suf-
flee to mention that the increased
heat within the body makes a less
favorable environment for the multi
plication of disease germs, and at the
same time increases the rate OF those
chemical or metabolic processes con-
cerned in the development of immu-
nifty. If this is too technical for you,
just skip it, Instead let me assure
you that fever is good thing for
what ails you.
Physicians had long noticed that in
certain prolonged chronic illnesses, If
the patients happened to suffer some
intercurrent acute illness with high
fever, a remarkable remission or i'm
provement in the chronic illnesses
followed. Thus in numerous instances
| patients in an advanced state of ply
steal and mental infirnity from pare
sis general paralysis have recovered
sufficiently to resume domestic or
business activities following an acute
attack OF malaria.
Notwithstanding the vehement as
! cults that all disease is due to a dis
placed bone, pinched nerve. men,
! tai error or some vague failure Of the
body to throw off" some equally
vague toxic poison" as the ignoramus
| calls it, malaria is caused by inOcula-
ton of the blood with the germ OF
| plaSmodium, as it Is scientifically
| known. No matter whether the
! agency of incubation is mosquito
or a hypodermic needle. The bite Of
an infected Anopheles mosquito or 9
wee injection of bit of blood from
a person who has acute malaria, viii
produce the disease in healthy per-
son. Likewise it will produce the dis.
ease in a sick person. The inocula-
ton of paresis and locomotor ataXia
patients with malaria has been prac.
ticed in great many cases in recent
years, and where the chronic disease
process is still progressive, that is
| the germs or virus still active, thi;
malaria incubation often brings abou,
vast change for the better. o.
course it is futile to expect any great
improvement if the original syphilis
has practically burned itself out and
left only broken down or degenerated
organs and tissues.
In another talk other means of pro.
ducing therapeutic fever will be de.
scribed. The little lesson in hygiene
today is this: A tolerable amount o.
fever is good for your illness.