A dissertation, on the causes and effects of spasm in fevers / pronounced by Mr. Nathan Smith, before the president, medical professors, and governors of Harvard University, at Cambridge, July 5th, 1790.

  • Smith, Nathan, 1762-1829.
Date:
[1791]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dissertation, on the causes and effects of spasm in fevers / pronounced by Mr. Nathan Smith, before the president, medical professors, and governors of Harvard University, at Cambridge, July 5th, 1790. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    FOR the MASSACHUSETTS MAGAZINE. A Dissertation on the causes and effects of SPASM in FEVERS.—By Dr. Nathan Smith. (Concluded from page 35.^ The influenza which prevailed in SECT. III. WE have hitherto treated of the caufes and effects of fpafm in fevers, from the firft attack of debili- ty in the fyftem, to its final refolution. It now remains to inquire after thofe caufes of debility which we havecon- fidered as the remote caufes both of fpafm and fever. We can only judge of the nature of thofe debilitating powers by their effedts, and although they are very various in this refpect, yet as they all agree in this, that they all produce fome degree of debility in the fyftem to which they are applied, they are properly denominated debilitating powers. The fource where many of thefe re- mote caufes of fevers fpring are fuf- ficiently afcertained, while others are involved in obfeurity ; this is the cafe with the remote caufe of the late in- fluenza, of which I purpofe to treat, with a defign to inquire after its ori- gin ; but previous to an inquiry of this kind, it may not be improper to give a fhort hifiory of that difeafe. The influenza is what Dr. Cullen calls a contagious catarrh, and belongs to the order of profluvia. The fymptoms of this difeafe may be divided into two kinds, common and proper ; the common fymptoms, fuch as are common to it and ev- ery other febrile diforder of this kind, is the debility in the beginning of the difeafe, fucceeded by fpafms, reac- tion, increafed fecretion and excre- tion of bile, &c. The proper fymptoms, fuch as are peculiar to the influen- za, and diflinguifh it from every other difeafe of this kind, are an inflamma- tion of the lungs, attended with cough, expectoration, &c. an inflammation of the membrane of the nofe and eyes, accompanied with a difcharge of mucus. Dr. Cullen has marked but one fpecies of this genus of diforderfarif- ing from contagion ; that there are more may be thought uncertain, but to me it appears probable. F«l. III. Feb. 1791. C the autumn of 1789, and that in the fpring of 1790, exhibited appearances fo far different, as to induce plivficians to think they were different difeafes. The former agreed exactly with the contagious catarrh defcribed by Dr. Cullen ; the latter did not affect the membrane of the eyes and nofe fo re- markably, it was attended with great- er debility, more bile in the alimen- tary canal, higher fever, a more vio- lent pain in the head, back, and limbs, and I think it proved fatal to more people than the former. It may be urged that the difference between the two above defcribed dif- eafes, proceeded from the difference in the feafons of the year in which they occurred ; but we do not find that difeafes are effentially changed by the feafons of the year, (e. g.) the meafles are fpecifically the fame at whatever feafon they occur. The feafon of the year feems only to ope- rate by rendering the fame concourfe of fymptoms more or lefs violent. I fit may be admitted that there are two fpecies of the lame genus, I aflt whether it is not probable that there are feveral others, and that moft, if not all thofe complaints commonly termed colds, originate from fome fpecies ot influenza ; to me it appears in the af- firmative. I believe there is feldom a year but that at fome particular feafon there is a very general complaint of colds, though often fo flight as not to attract the attention of phyficians, yet it fel- dom happens that we C3n refer thofe complaints to any unufual expofure to cold ; at leaft this has generally been the cafe with me, in the courfe of my experience, both with refpect to myfelf and the patients I have at- tended. 1 have had the influenza a number of times, fincel have had fome knowl- edge of difeafes and their caufes, but could never, with any degree of cer- tainty; refer it to an application <:{ cold.