Fever. — Acetanilid presents the re quired qualities for the reduction of high fever, which alone warrants the use of antipyretics. Not only is a rise of three or four degrees harmless, but modern investigations tend to show that it is one of Nature's means of defense against pathogenic elements of various kinds. The many cases of marked depression that have followed its use even in moder ate pyrexia of infectious fevers have caused its use to be abandoned. North rup severely condemns its use in chil dren.
Malaria.—It has been found service able by several observers in warding off the periodic manifestations of intermit tent fever.
.Acetanilid possesses great merit in warding off chills in intermittent fever. If there is time, before the chill 1 V., to 2 grains of calomel in V,-grain doses half an hour apart are given; then, ac cording to age, 2 to 6 grains of ace tanilid twenty minutes or half an hour before the expected chill. Gentle per spiration with natural sleep usually fol low within half an hour: if not, a sec ond close of equal amount may be given. Used in several hundred eases without quinine. Benjamin Brodnax (North
Carolina Med. Jour., Apr. 20, '95).
Typhoid Fever. — Early in its career acetanilid was found more harmful than beneficial in this affection. It tends to depress vital energy, which, on the con trary, should be sustained. Its use in this disease has been practically aban doned.
Classes of patients who exhibit sus ceptibility to the influence of acetanilid. In a number of cases of pregnant and nursing women who were suffering from typhoid fever, disagreeable or alarming symptoms observed to follow the exhibi tion of any but very moderate doses of the drug. Larger, but still moderate, doses were frequently followed by pro fuse diaphoresis. or even collapse. Sem britzki Monat., June, '89).
Phthisis. — The same reasons cause acetanilid to be contra-indicated in this disease. It has been used to counteract the afternoon rise of temperature, but the advantage gained is more than offset by the depression produced.
Case of a young man, with acute pul monary tuberculosis, in whom 10 grains produced collapse. •fames Wilding (Brit. Sled. Jour.. Sept. 14. '89).