CHAPTER II.

    GENERAL SEPTIC INFECTION AND INTOXICATION.

                                 BLOOD POISONING.

1. Septicaemia is met with in two forms :—

        (a)   Septic poisoning.
        (b)   Septic infection.

(a)   Septic poisoning.—The effects produced by the absorption
of a poisonous dose of the chemical products of germs without the
germs being alive that elaborate these poisons. In this the symptoms
must be directly in proportion to the dose absorbed, which dose
cannot increase in the body.

(b)   Septic infection.—The effects produced by the absorption
of poisons of living infective germs. The symptoms here are not
proportionate to the initial dose which may be infinitesimal and not
lethal, but which, owing to multiplication of the germs in the blood
and a corresponding increase of poison elaborated by their vital
processes, leads to death sooner or later.

This naturally is of a graver character than the preceding.

2. Pyaemia—Occurs in the same way as septic infection, but
differs in its symptoms.

Prognosis.—In septic poisoning, if the dose is small, recovery
is probable. In septic infection and pyœmia recovery is rare.

Causes—Always due to absorption through some abraded
surface, i.e., sores, scratches, heel cracks, abscesses. The poison
may have been introduced by the weapon causing the injury or may
have been absorbed subsequently from neglecting the wounds (a
frequent cause).

Symptoms.—In all forms the following are the most frequent :
repeated shivering often unnoticed, and sudden accessions of high
fever, often followed by a fall of temperature sometimes to normal
before the next rise, grave prostration and muscular tremors being
marked symptoms, and towards the end foetid diarrhoea, occasionally
there may be paralysis of the hind-quarters. The disease takes
a rapid course, ending usually in death after a short period.

In septic poisoning no further symptoms are observed, but in
septic infection there may be swelling of joints and collections of
fluid in the body cavities (chest, belly), and in pyœmia abscesses