The intermittent fever and ague approach with the following symptoms, viz. a heavy dull head-ach, a shivering chill all over the body, with a yawning, &c. pain in all the limbs attended with weariness, a nausea at the stomach, a depressed pulse; which after it has lasted for half an hour, changes into a burning heat, a throbbing head-ach, pain in the loins, and in every limb, a great draught, a full hard pulse, and which at last terminates in a profuse sweat; this seems to give the patient ease, for one, two, or three days; and then attacks the patient with the same symptom, increasing every time, and reduces the patient both in body and spirit.
The first thing to be done is to give a vomit, like No. [XV]. and XXVI. This is best taken at the approach of the cold fit, and worked well off with plenty of luke warm water. After the operation of the vomit is over, let the patient take the following draught.
No. XXVII
Take fever powder (L), thirty grains; calomel (N), one grain; elixir of vitriol (G), sixty, or seventy drops; essential oil of peppermint (U), four drops upon a little lump of sugar; to which add water, half a tea cup full.
This draught will not only promote perspiration, but help to dissolve the siziness in the blood; and may therefore be repeated every six hours, for a few days. But the patient should always be kept moderately warm upon it, that it may work by perspiration.—This simple method I have known put the patient to rights again, after a severe onset.
But sometimes this wretched disorder will require more powerful medicines to keep it in subjection. When the fibres are debilitated, and the blood still retains its viscid corruptive quality, the ague is apt to hang on the patient a long time, the succeeding fever apt to melt the patient down to a mere skeleton, and even destroy him. In this it is requisite to brace up the solids, and to infuse an astringency into the blood.
To this intent, the Peruvian bark is now frequently prescribed, and if judiciously administered it is an excellent medicine; but as it is liable however, to be improperly given, and then productive of irreparable mischief, I have purposely omitted it in this catalogue; nevertheless, I shall give in its stead a medicine, superior both in virtue, and by far more safe in the application; not only in this kind of complaint, but in scorbutic cases, as I shall hereafter take notice of. The medicine is this,
No. XXVIII
Elixir of Iron.
Take a quantity of rusty iron, the smaller the pieces are, the better, for the less quantity will do; pour on it good strong vinegar, sufficient to cover it; let them steep till the vinegar becomes of a deep brown colour, which it soon will, and at length acquire a consistence of a black elixir. The vessel should be either stone or glass; but what is yet better is an iron pot, which of itself will contribute to the medicine.