RELAPSING FEVER, a disease so called from the fact that during apparent convales cence a relapse of all the symptoms occurs; and this may be repeated more than once. It is also called famine fever, because it has oc curred during seasons of destitution since 1739. Other names for it are five-day fever, seven-day fever, mild yellow fever, heart fever and febris recurrens. Its present. name was given to it by Jenner in 1850. It is infectious and contagious. The symptoms do not usually show themselves for three or four days after exposure to the contagion. They generally begin in a shivering sensation, with headache, and with muscular pains all over the body, but especially in the limbs; then the pulse rises and the temperature increases; there is also great thirst, Pain over the stomach and retching. Sometimes there is intense hunger and the patient becomes ex tZn prostrated:prostrated:On the fifth or seventh day symptoms abate and there is rapid amendment until about the 14th or 15th day from the beginning of the symptoms, when a relapse occurs. Three or four days afterward
convalescence again begins and in the majority of cases it goes on to complete restoration of health. Relapsing fever is not often fatal, the death rate being about 2 per cent of those at tacked. The treatment consists in giving,gentle laxatives and cooling drinks, a light nutritious diet and in securing to the patient perfect quiet ness. Relapsing fever is now known to be . caused by a spirilhun (Spirockata obermeinti), a micro-organism which Obermeier of Berlin showed (1ff73) to be constantly present in the blood of those having this disease.