Part 6
The cases of ardent fever and phrenitis occurred early in spring
after the cold set in, and great numbers were taken ill at that time,
and these cases were attended with acute and fatal symptoms. The constitution
of the ardent fevers which then occurred was as follows: at the commencement
they were affected with coma, nausea, and rigors; fever acute, not
much thirst, nor delirium, slight epistaxis, the paroxysms for the
most part on even days; and, about the time of the paroxysms, forgetfulness,
loss of strength and of speech, the extremities, that is to say, the
hands and feet, at all times, but more especially about the time of
the paroxysms, were colder than natural; they slowly and imperfectly
became warmed, and again recovered their recollection and speech.
They were constantly affected either with coma, in which they got no sleep, or with insomnolency, attended with pains;
most had disorders of the bowels, attended with undigested, thin,
and copious evacuations; urine copious, thin, having nothing critical
nor favorable about it; neither was there any other critical appearance
in persons affected thus; for neither was there any proper hemorrhage,
nor any other of the accustomed evacuations, to prove a crisis. They
died, as it happened, in an irregular manner, mostly about the crisis,
but in some instances after having lost their speech for a long time,
and having had copious sweats. These were the symptoms which marked
the fatal cases of ardent fever; similar symptoms occurred in the
phrenitic cases; but these were particularly free from thirst, and
none of these had wild delirium as in other cases, but they died oppressed
by a bad tendency to sleep, and stupor.
