Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 13, MAT-MIC

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MEDICINE.
Phlcgtna-
fia:.
J75
Britiih troops were affe£led in Egypt, and which they
have imported into this ifland 'on their return from
thence.
Of this affedlion many intercfting accounts have been
publiihed. Perhaps the beft is an elaborate treatife by
Mr Edmonfton, who has had many opportunities of
witneffing the affeftion, and extenfive praftice in the
treatment of the difeafe, both in Egypt and in Britain.
To his work therefore we may refer thofe who with for
the molt full information refpefting it. We fhall only
obferve, that now, no doubt can be entertained refpeft-
inpf the contagious nature of the difeafe ; and that
therefore the firft great object neceliary in the treat¬
ment is the complete feparation of the difeafed from the
found.
Genus IX. PHRENITIS.
PHRENST, or Inflammation of the BRAIN.
Phrenitis, Sauv. gen. ioi. Lin. 25. Sag. gen. 301*
Boerh. 771. Hoffm. II. 131. Junck. 63.
Phrenifmus, Vog. 45.
Cephalitis, Sauv. gen. 109. Sag. gen. 310.
Sphacelifmus, Lin. 32.
Phrenitis vera, Sauv. fp. 1. Boerh. 771,
Phrenitis idiopathica, Lunch. 63.
Cephalalgia inflammatoria, Sauv. fp. 9.
Cephalitis fpontanea, Sauv. fp. 3.
Cephalitis Uriahs, Sauv. fp. 4.
Siriahs, Vog. 34.
Cephalitis Littriana, Sauv. fp. 5.
Dr Cullen obferves, that the true phrenitis, or in¬
flammation of the membranes or fubftance of the brain,
is very rare as an original difeafe : but, as a fymptom
of others, much more frequent ; of which the following
kinds are enumerated by different authors :
Phrenitis fynochi pleuritic a;, Sauv. fp. 2.
Phrenitis fynochi fanguineae, Sauv. fp. 4.
Phrenitis calentura, Sauv. fp. 11.
Phrenitis Indica, Sauv. fp. 12.
Cephalitis iEgyptiaca, Sauv. fp. 1.
Cephalitis epidemica anno 1510, Sauv. fp. 6.
Cephalitis verminofa, Sauv. fp. 7.
Cephalitis cerebelli, Sauv. fp. 8.
Phrenitis miliaris, Sauv. fp. 3.
Phrenitis variolofa, Sauv. fp. 5.
Phrenitis morbillofa, Sauv. fp. 6.
Phrenitis a plica, Sauv. fp. 8.
Phrenitis aphrodiliaca, Sauv. fp. 9.
Phrenitis a tarantifmo, Sauv. fp. 14.
Phrenitis hydrophobica, Sauv. fp. 15.
Phrenitis h dolore, Sauv. fp. 13.
Cephalitis traumatica, Sauv. fp. 2.
Defcription. The figns of an impending phrenitis
are, immoderate and continual watchings •, or if any
lleep be obtained, it is difturbed with dreams, and
gives no refrefhment •, acute and lading pains, efpe-
eially in the hind part of the head and neck } little
third;; a great and dow refpiration, as if proceeding
from the bottom of the bread } the pulfe fometimes
fmall and dow, fometimes quick and frequent *, a fup-
predion of urine ; and forgetfulnefs. The didemper
when prefent may be know by the following figns :
Pra&ice,
The veins of the head fwell, and the temporal arteries Phrenitis.
throb much ; the eyes are fixed, fparkle, and have a v—
fierce afpeiff 5 the fpeech is incoherent, and the patient
behaves very roughly to the bydanders, with furious
attempts to get out of bed, not indeed continually, but
returning as it were by paroxyfms j the tongue is dry,
rough, yellow, or black ; there is a coldnefs of the ex¬
ternal parts *, a pronenefs to anger ; chattering of the
teeth j a trembling of the hands, with which the fick
feem to be gathering fomething, and actually do gather
the naps off" the bed-clothes.
Caufes of, andperfons fubjeB to, this diforder. People
of a hot and bilious habit of body, and fuch as are of
a pafiionate difpofition, are apt to be affe&ed with
phrenitis. In the fame danger are thofe who make
much ufe of fpices, or are given to hot and fpirituous
liquors ; who have been expofed more than ufual to the
fun, or obliged to undergo immoderate dudies or watch¬
ings ; who are fubjeft to headachs, or in whom fome
cudomary hemorrhages have been dopped } or the dil-
eafe may arife from fome injury offered to the head ex¬
ternally. Sir John Pringle obferves, that the phrenitis,
when confidered as an original difeafe, is apt to attack
foldiers in the dimmer feafon when they are expofed
to the heat of the fun, and efpecially when adeep and
in liquor. A fymptomatic phrenitis is alfo more fre¬
quent in the army than elfewhere, on account of the
violence done to all fevers when the fick are carried in
waggons from the camp to the hofpital, where the very
noife or light alone would be fufficient, with more de¬
licate natures, to raife a phrenfy. From thefe and fi-
milar caufes, a date of aftive infiammation, affefting
fome parts within the cranium, is produced : and there
can be no doubt, that from this all the fymptoms of the
difeafe arife, and particularly that peculiar delirium
which characterizes it. But in what manner local dif-
eafes, even of the brain itfelf, produce affeCtions of the
mind, we are dill totally in the dark.
Prognofls. Every kind of phrenitis, whether idio¬
pathic or fymptomatic, is attended with a high degree
of danger •, and, unlefs removed before the fourth day,
a gangrene or fphacelus of the meninges readily takes
place, and the patient dies delirious. The following
are the molt fatal fymptoms : A continual and furious
delirium, with Watching 5 thin watery urine, white
feces, the urine and dools running off involuntarily,
or a total fuppredion of thefe excretions •, a ready dif¬
pofition to become dupid, or to faint; trembling, ri¬
gor, chattering of the teeth, convulfions, hiccough,
coldnefs of the extremities, trembling of the tongue,
Ihrill voice, a hidden ceffation of pain, with apparent
tranquillity. The following are favourable : Sweats,
apparently critical, breaking out 5 a feeming effort of
nature to terminate the difeafe by a diarrhoea •, a large
hemorrhagy from the nofe ; fwellings of the glands be¬
hind the ears *, haemorrhoids.
Cure. From what has been faid of the theory of
this difeafe, the cure mud entirely depend on obtaining
a refolution of the inflammation. The objefts chiefly
to be aimed at with this view are, 1. The removal of
fuch exciting caufes as' continue to operate. 2. The
diminution of the momentum of the blood in the cir¬
culating fydem in general. 3. The diminution of
impetus at the brain in particular : and, 4. The avoid-
1 ing