Fever, as I have already indicated, is a kind of physical revolution, a state of excitation which, differing so widely as to cause, character and degree, cannot be judged according to any fixed rule.  The temperature of a patient we may read from the thermometer; but the real nature of the fever we do not learn until we consider his constitution, his innate faculties and the strength to which his various organs have attained.  For this purpose we must take into consideration not only the physical attributes, but also the quality of the senses and of the mind, since these items are of the utmost importance in determining the tenacity, i.e., the power of resistance of the patient.

From this point of view it will be understood that people possessing a calm and phlegmatic temperament, will not attain to high degrees of fever, except in cases of very serious complications, while nervous people may quickly reach very considerable degrees of temperature.  Children and younger people are more inclined to high fever, since their organs are still immature.  This explains why simple inflammations, which are not general throughout the body, or frequent indigestion, which in itself does not figure as a dangerous illness, will in the case of children appear under the gravest symptoms.  It follows, therefore, how necessary it is to discriminate closely and decide accordingly between severe symptoms of fever as manifested by people of calm temperament, and similar cases when manifested by people of nervous temperament.

Unfortunately fever has been treated in the past according to set and rigid rules.  As soon as the temperature of a patient rose from 98.6 deg. and 99.6 deg. to 100.4 deg., it was pronounced to be fever, and preparations were made to treat it accordingly.  The treatment became more energetic the higher the fever rose to 105.8 deg. and 107.6 deg..

It was said that under all circumstances the temperature must be lowered to normal.

This idea is decidedly wrong and most dangerous for the patient.  For, while a calm and phlegmatic patient may withstand this strong reduction of excitement in his internal organs, which in fact require it, the procedure necessary to bring it about, as a rule exceeds what the nervous patient can endure.

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.