A Very Careful Treatment
The fever should only be reduced in accordance with the strength of the patient,
otherwise extreme irritation must ensue, such as has caused the death of hundreds
of thousands in the past.
It is better, therefore, to leave a nervous patient in his fever
and strengthen him by various devices, so that he may overcome it. Later he may
require and, consequently, be able to withstand stronger measures. For this purpose
I recommend simple ablutions, in some cases the application of abdominal packs
for half an hour using two-thirds water and one-third vinegar, as previously
prescribed.
In addition, the natural vigor of the patient is to be strengthened by
administering to him, at intervals of from half an hour to two hours, Dechmann's
Tonogen and Dechmann's Plasmogen alternately.
The treatment must be in proportion to the strength of the patient. Thus the quiet,
energetic temperament can endure more extensive packs; his nature in fact requires
them.
His body may be completely packed or at least three-quarters, by placing the
moist sheet around his entire body except the arms, while the woolen blanket is
either wrapped around the whole body, including the arms, or, as before, leaves the
patient free to move his arms, which are then only covered by the bed-clothes. A
patient of this kind may also be treated with ablutions or put into a half bath at
75.2°, while cooler water is poured over him. Young and strong patients have
endured even cooler baths as powerful stimulants.
The nearer a patient approaches to a nervous, weak condition, the more caution is
required to allow him hike warm baths only, or, still better, ablutions at 77°, which
may be made severer by not drying the patient.
It is very beneficial to weak patients to frequently wash their hands, face and neck,
without drying them.
A very careful treatment of the hair is also a great necessity, especially for women.
Clean and well combed hair is very beneficial to a patient. Slight ablutions of the
head and combing the hair while wet, are very cooling and refreshing.
The stronger the nature of a patient, the safer it becomes to rely upon a single mode
of procedure. Thus, cold packs may be sufficient in case of high fever if applied
about every half hour or hour; or, if the temperature is not quite so high, at
intervals, from one hour and a half to two hours With weaker persons more variety
of procedure is imperative, but none of them must be too stringently applied. In
these cases mild ablutions should be used several times during the day, and they
may be alternated with packs of the whole lower part of the body or packs on the
calves of the legs.
Cool or cold enemas are rapidly absorbed and thus have a quieting influence on the
large blood reservoir in the abdomen. Little mouthfuls of water are also taken from
time to time, but too much water always weakens the patient.
(C) DIET IN CASES OF FEVER.
As diet in cases of fever I recommend the prescriptions of Professor Moritz, which
coincide with my own experiences, so far as a fever diet is concerned; and in
addition the physiologico-chemical cell-food which I have used for many years
with the greatest success (Dech-Manna Diet). The importance of the latter is due to
the fact that it not only prevents the destruction of the cells, but has a general
strengthening effect upon the system.
Whatever the differences in manifestation the febrile diseases may show, the
febrile reduction of the digestive capacity of the stomach and the bowels is so
characteristic, that it should be specially noted in this connection.
True, fever shows considerable disturbance of metabolism, since the decomposition
of the albumen is increased in an abnormal way. This fact, however, does not
demand any particular attention, in regard to diet. As far as possible during fever it
is well to exercise an economizing influence on the decomposition of the albumen
of the body through the introduction of all kinds of food that produce energy, so that it is not necessary to
give preference to any one particular kind of food.
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