The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 516 of 653614 Epidemic and Endemic Infectious Diseases.thin, bat is still somewhat tinged with bile ; the patient has frthree to six discharges every day. On a careful examination, anumber of shreds of epithelium are discovered in the excrements.The diarrhoea is not always Associated with a marked feeling ofmalaise ; sometimes the only symptoms present are a disproportionate feeling of lassitude, an increase of thirst and an impaired atite. That this premonitory diarrhoea is real cholera, is shown bthe circumstance that it is capable of spreading the infection. Aany rate, every diarrhoea which sets in at the time of epidemiccholera ought to be regarded as a premonitory symptom of the disease. At times the diarrhoea only lasts a few hours, at other tima few days, scarcely ever beyond a week. It may terminate theattack, or else the disease may pass into the more malignant andmore characteristic forms of the epidemic.This passage to the more malignant type generally takes placequite suddenly. A copious evacuation takes place resembling ricewater, simultaneously with which the debility increases very rapidly. These evacuations succeed each other with more or lessrapidity, an agonizing thirst supervenes, and very soon the patieis attacked with vomiting of substances resembling the alvineevacuations, but having a little more color. At the same time thepatients are no longer able to preserve the erect posture; they atormented by a peculiar anguish which they point out as beinglocated in the prsecordia; the urinary secretions are scanty orentirely suppressed, the patients have a cadaverous appearance, teyes are sunken, surrounded by dark margins, the skin is cool, thhead is bathed in a cool perspiration; the pulse is small; at thistage cramps of the glutei muscles and of other muscular bundlesmake their appearance. The affection may persist for some timeat this height, very seldom longer than twelve hours, after whichrecovery takes place, the passages gradually resuming a bilioustinge, becoming less copious and less frequent, and the skin warming up again. Convalescence from this milder form of the diseasealways proceeds rapidly, without being disturbed by consecutivediseases. Usually, however, this mild form sooner or later passesinto the most violent form of the disease.This type of cholera, designated as cholera asphyctica or algida,very seldom breaks out all at once at the outset, but very oftenceeds the premonitory diarrhoea with the suddenness of a flash oflightness. The quantity of matter evacuated by the anus andmouth, is enormous; it is colorless and inodorous, contains shredCholera Asiatica. 615of epithelium and a few flocks of mucus. These evacuations oftensucceed each other without the least intermission. The thirst nowbecomes agonizing; the vomiting is excited every time after thepatient swallows a drink of water. His anxiety is excessive ; attimes he complains of violent pains in the pit of the stomach, anhe is likewise tormented by severe cramps in the calves. The urinary secretion is entirely suppressed. The consequences of the immense losses of fluids show themselves very speedily. The skinhttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt