REMITTENT FEVER is one of the three varieties of fever arising from malaria or marsh-poison—the two others being intermittent fever, or ague (q.v.), and yellow fever. In its milder forms, it scarcely differs from severe intermittent fever; while in its more serious form, it may approximate closely to yellow fever. As the nature of the poison on which it depends is sufficiently noticed in the article MIASMA, we shall at once pro ceed to describe the most characteristic symptoms. The attack may be either sudden or preceded by languor, chilliness, and a general feeling of malarut. Then comes a cold stage, similar to that occurring in ague, and usually of short duration. This is fol lowed by a hot Stage. in which the symptoms are commonly far more intense than those exhibited in the worst forms of ague. Giddiness proceeding to delirium is not uncom mon, and is a bad symptom: while, in other cases, drowsiness or lethargy is one of the most marked symptoms. There is often great tenderness or pain in the region of the stomach, and vomiting—the vomited matter frequently containing bile or blood. A remission of these symptoms occurs, in mild cases, in six or seven hours; but in severe cases, the paroxysm may continue for 24 hours or longer. The remission is sometimes. but not always, accompanied with sweating. The duration of the remission is as varied as that of the paroxysm, varying from two or three to thirty hours, or even longer. The fever then returns with increased seVertty, and without any cold stage; and then the paroxysms and remissions proceed. most commonly according to no recognizable law, till the case terminates either fatally or in convalescence. In favorable cast's, con valescence is usually established in about a week. The severer forms of this fever are often accompanied with more or less jaundice, and hence the disease hots receivid the name of bilious remittent fever. It is also known as jungle fever, hike fever (from its prevalence on the bbrder of the great American lakes): and the African, Bengal, Levant.
Walcheren, and other similar local fevers, are merely synonyms of this disease. In England the disease is very rare; and when it occurs, it is usually mild. The disease is most severe in southern Asia, western Africa, Central America, and the West India islands.
The first object of treatment is to reduce the circulation during the hot stage. This is done by bleeding, followed by a dose of 5 grains each of calomel and .James's powder. and, after an interval of three or four hours, by a sharp cathartic—as. for instance, the ordinary black draught. On the morning of the following day, the remission will prob ably be more complete, when quinine, either alone or in combination with the purgative mixture, should be freely and repeatedly administered. A mixture of antimonial wine with acetate of potash should also be given every two or three hours, so as to soften the skin and increase the action of the kidneys. Sir Ranald Martin—our highest authority in relation to tropical diseases—has directed attention to the fact, that the patient must be carefully watched during the period of convalescence. A timely ,removal from all malarious influence, by a change of climate or a sea-voyage, is of the highest importance, and is more likely than any other means to prevent fatal relapses into other forms of fever, or into dysentery, which so frequently occur to our troops at stations where mias matic influences are rife. Although the above sketch of treatment is applicable in most cases, there are some forms of this fever in which blood-letting cannot be borne; and almost every epidemic fever of this kind requires special modifications of treatment. The following data extracted from a table drawn up by sir Alexander Tulloch, will give some idea of the frequency of this disease and the variations in intensity: