The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 215 of 653the period when a change takes place in the symptoms. The infiltration is seldom completed on the third day, sometimes not tillseventh, even still later. After this, the pains almost always cethe breathing becomes more tranquil, the fever is apparently lessthe pulse remains unchanged, the constitutional symptoms do notmend very perceptibly. The local as well as the general symptomsmay remain unchanged in intensity, until a change takes place inthe disease. Such a change seldom takes place before the fifth daand, according to Traube, sets in on the odd days, which is denieby others This critical change is very often preceded by the breaing out of herpes labialis which almost always authorizes the expectation of a favorable turn. Previous to the critical change, tintensity of the symptoms either rises to a great height by a graincrease, or else it is often the case that after two to four quidays a violent fever again rages for twelve to eighteen hours, afwhich the disease decreases very suddenly. This reappearance ofthe fever is most easily accounted for by the exudation of serumwhich is required for the reabsorption of the exuded fibrin. Inuncomplicated cases the disease decreases with an uncommonsuddenness and rapidity, sometimes in a few hours, and it is diffcult to understand how the dyspnoea can decrease so rapidly sinceas a rule, a copious expectoration does not occur and is sometimeentirely wanting. This shows that the exudation of serum whichis alone capable of removing the exuded fibrin by a process of reabsorption, is chiefly concerned in disembarrassing the respiratofunctions by the removal of this exuded material. In simple pneumonia, without abnormal deviations from a regular course, the socalled sputa cocta are only met with in small quantity and not byany means as a general rule. Convalescence takes place so rdrpidlthat on the fourteenth day every trace of the disease has generaldisappeared. As we shall see presently, the mode of treatmentexerts a great influence in this respect.In order to establish the diagnosis of pneumonia with perfectcertainty in all dubious cases, it is absolutely necessary to resPueumonia. 249a physical exploration of the respiratory organs. We discuss thissubject separately from the other symptoms of the disease, lu ordto aftbrd a clearer and more connected view of the whole.Pneumonia does not alter the shape of the thorax, or so littlethat no stress need be laid upon this symptom ; nor are the intercostal spaces altered any more than the general capacity of thethorax. Very commonly, however, a more distinct vibration of thethoracic wall, corresponding to the diseased portion of the lungsis perceived when the patient is talking. The most important positive signs are yielded by percussion which informs us with toleracertainty whether a larger portion of the lungs is infiltrated orWe speak, of course, of croupous pneumonia, for it is this alonethat causes the infiltration of a considerable portion of the lunmost commonly of a whole lobe. In the incipient stage of pneumonia, the sound either remains unchanged, or is only changedvery slightly ; hence, immediately after the occurrence of the chno ahanges can be discovered. But in proportion as the hyperemiaincreases, the percussion-sound becomes more tympanitic, sometimeto such an extent that one might be led to believe, a piece of inhttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt