much.

Sixteenth day. Was apparently more torpid, and once rather delirious; pulse
112. Takes only capillaire and water; sleeps much.

Twentieth day. Pulse 100, skin dry but less hot, liquid stools not so
frequent, he is emaciated to a great degree, he has eaten half a tea-cup
full of custard to day, drinks only capillaire and water, has thrice taken
two large spoonfuls of decoction of bark with three drops of laudanum,
refuses to have his legs bathed, and will now take nothing but three drops
of laudanum twice a day.

Twenty-fourth day. He has gradually taken more custard every day, and began
to attend to some new play things, and takes wine syllabub.

Twenty-eighth day. He daily grows stronger, eats eggs, and and butter, and
sleeps immediately after his food, can creep on his hands and knees, but
cannot stand erect.

Thirty-second day. He cannot yet stand alone safely, but seems hourly to
improve in strength of body, and activity of mind.

In this case the remote cause of his fever could not be well ascertained,
as it might be from having his feet cold for many successive days, or from
contagion; but the latter seems more probable, because his younger brother
became ill of a similar fever about three weeks afterwards, and probably
received the infection from him. The disease commenced with great torpor of
the stomach, which was shewn by his total aversion to solid food, and
perpetual sickness; the watery stools, which were sometimes green, or of a
darkish yellow, were owing to the acrimony, or acidity, of the contents of
the bowels; which as well as the flatulency were occasioned by indigestion.
This torpor of the stomach continued throughout the whole fever, and when
it ceased, the fever ceased along with it.

The contagious material of this fever I suppose to have been mixed with the
saliva, and swallowed into the stomach; that it excited the vessels, which
constitute the stomach, into the greatest irritative motion like arsenic;
_which might not be perceived, and yet might render that organ paralytic or
inirritable in a moment of time_; as animals sometimes die by one single
exertion, and consequent paralysis, without a second struggle; as by
lightning, or being shot through the back part of the brain; of both which
I have seen instances. I had once an opportunity of inspecting two oxen, a
few minutes after they were killed by lightning under a crab-tree on moist
ground in long grass; and observed, that they