[68] Dr. Musgrave, in his Treatise de Arthritide Symptomat. p. 30, cap. ii. sect. 10, says, he has known a Salivation, raised by Mercury, cure the Rheumatism.
[69] Vide Sydenham. Opera. sect. vi. cap. 5.
OF THE
Autumnal Remitting Fever.
The Remitting Autumnal Fever, called by the Antients συνεχης, was also one of the most frequent Disorders during the Campaign.
This Fever is observed in most Countries, after the Juices have been highly exalted by the Heat of Summer; and People are exposed to the Heats of Mid-Day, and to the cold Damps of the Night. We observe it every Year in the Neighbourhood of London, especially among the labouring People, who work in the Fields, towards the End of Summer, and in Autumn; but it is generally in a milder Degree than in Armies, where Men are more exposed to the Vicissitudes of the Weather.
As we go further towards the South, this, as well as other bilious Disorders, becomes more frequent.
This Fever is reckoned the endemic Distemper of the West Indies, of the Coast of Guinea, and other Places in the Torrid Zone; but in those warm Countries it appears in a more violent Degree; makes a much more rapid Progress; and proves far more fatal than in our cooler and more temperate Climate. And it is observed to be always most frequent and most fatal where a Country is covered with Wood, or is marshy; and where there are frequent Fogs, and much stagnating Water, which corrupts by the Heat of Summer.
In January, February, and March 1761, we had none of those Remitting Fevers at Paderborn. In April, some few of the Soldiers, on their Return from the Winter-Expedition into Hesse-Cassel, had Fevers attended with bilious Symptoms; but they were rather of the continued, inflammatory Kind, and tending to malignant, than such as could be called remitting.
The first Time that I saw much of this Fever, was among the Sick sent to Bilifield in the End of June 1761; soon after the Army took the Field. The Remissions were short, and it partook much of the Nature of the common Inflammatory Fever; and most of them were cured by the antiphlogistic Method. A Day or two before we left this Place, it began to change into the Malignant Hospital Fever, from the Sick being too much crowded.
In the Middle of July, about Twelve Hundred Sick were sent to the Hospital at Munster; and about one-third Part were ill of this Remitting Fever. It did not partake near so much of the inflammatory Nature as at Bilifield; the Remissions became much more evident; and it was attended much oftener in the Beginning with bilious Vomiting and Purging; and in some few the Disorder turned to a Dysentery. About eight or nine had it changed into the Hospital Fever, from the Wards in one of the Hospitals being too much crowded; and in some few the Disorder terminated in regular Agues. In November severals were taken ill of it in the Garrison of Bremen, which mostly ended in a regular Intermittent, the endemic Distemper of the Place. Towards the End of December we had none of these Remitting Fevers, the Disorders turning more to the inflammatory Kind.