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DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 337
ground of principles, which must never be lost sight of;
and I must be permitted to again warn you that a care
ful perusal of all the preceding portion of this book is
of all that is to follow. I
necessary to an understanding
shall begin with some general diseases, and follow with
diseases of systems, organs, etc.
OF FEVERS.
Fever is the name given to a general and somewhat
violent effort of the system to free itself from the
matter of disease. It is, therefore, more a disease of
than of exhaustion. Fevers are characterized
impurity
by pain, heat, excitement of the circulating system,
over-action of the organic, and consequent prostration
of the locomotive.
The causes of fever are too great quantity or bad
quality of food, want of cleanliness, bad air, poisonings
of many kinds, with so much exhaustion, that the sys
tem can not rid herself of their effects without a spe
cial effort. The immediate, cause of an attack of fever
may be chill, fatigue, worry, or any unusual cause of
disturbance or exhaustion.
Fever begins, generally, with a chill or rigor, followed
by pain in the head, back, and limbs, weakness, heat of
the suffice, throbbing of the arteries, loss of appetite,
constipation ; there is great thirst, quick putae, hurried
breathing ; it terminates with more or less violent criti
cal action, generally of the skin, in profuse sweatings,
often with copious discharges from the kidneys and
bowels.
The action in fever may be concentrated upon some
particular portion of the system. If the disease is
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