Kinds of Fever

The normal temperature of the body is 98.4 degrees F or 37 degrees C. When the thermometer after putting it for a minute or so in the mouth below the tongue shows a rise in temperature it is termed fever. The body becomes hot and the pulse rate increase in proportion of 10 to 1 degree rise in temperature. Respiration increases generally by 2 to 1 degree of temperature. Rise of temperature above 105 degree and fall below 96 are both dangerous.

In fact, fever in itself is not a disease but it occurs when there is a disease. When some derangement occurs in our body, Nature or our Vital Force tries to set right the derangement and fever is a symptom of that effort of Nature. Hence fever should not be got rid of by drastic medicines, but effort should be made to remove the cause of the fever. It often occurs when there is an inflammation or swelling in any part of the body. Fever also occurs when toxins or some foreign poisonous matter gets into the blood stream. Severe cold, heat of the sun, great weariness, etc, also result in fever. For such fevers the following medicines should be given.

Aconite30/Belladona30/Dulcamara/Pulsatilla/Camphor/Gelsemium/FerrumPhos/Bryonia/Rhus Tox/Arsenic Alb.

Malaria

This is an intermittent fever the symptoms of which are common knowledge. Generally fever begins with chill, often severe chill, which may last for minutes or even a few hours. After the chill, fever rises and sometimes it is as high as 104 or 105, after a few hours the patient perspires and fever comes down to normal. This paroxysm is repeated the same time next day or after two or three days. When the fever attacks daily, it is called Quotidian, and when it recurs after 48 hours it is called Tertian and when after 72 hours it is Quartan. Sometimes both chill and perspiration or one of these are absent. This fever is caused by a particular mosquito which injects material parasites into the blood.

Homoeopathic medicines are the best for the treatment of Malaria. Following are some medicines for this fever.

ArsenicumAlbum/China/NatrumMur/NuxVomica/Sulphur/FerrumPhos/Lachesis/Thuja/Natrum Sulph/Pulsatilla/Calcarea Carb/Baptisia/Chelidonium

Typhoid

Typhoid fever is called enteric fever, fever of the intestines. There is no remission in this fever. In typhoid the pulse rate does not increase to extent it should normally increase with temperature, i.e., about 10-12 times with 1 degree rise of temperature. In the morning the temperature falls down daily but increase about 2 degrees in the afternoon and evening. The tongue is invariably coated thick. Generally 21 days is the period of this fever but sometimes it comes down in 14 days sometimes takes about 40 to 42 days. Some remitted fevers come down in seven days only. Constipation during the fever is a good sign; diarrhoea may create complications. Nowadays in Allopathy the use of antibiotic drugs brings down the temperature in 4 or 5 days but sometimes other complications arise. Properly selected Homoeopathic medicines too often cut short the attack and prevent complications. Complete rest, a liquid diet and proper nursing is essential in this. Following are some medicines for the cure of this fever

Bryonia/Rhus Tox/Baptisia/Arsenic Alb/Gelsimium/Helleborus

Measles

This is a very contiguous disease. It generally occurs during spring. If a child in family attacked by measles, nearly all the children are attacked sooner or later. The exact nature of the poison is not known but after poison gets in to the blood in a week or two, the disease begins with cold, coryza, fever and cough. After 3 or 4 days a red rash appears on the face and all over the body. Fever sometimes rises up to 103-104. After the appearance of rash the fever subsides in a day or two. Cough often persists even after the temperature comes down to normal. Sometimes the cold sets in the lungs and bronchitis or pneumonia may occur. High fever, diarrohoea or delerium are not good symptoms. Following are the medicines for the cure of measles.

Aconite/Belladona/Pulsatilla/Bryonia/Gelsimium/Ferrum Phos/Antim Tart

Small Pox

This is also a very contagious disease and like measles generally attacks children. Its incubation period (the time between the entering of poison in the body and appearance of fever, etc, ) is 10-12 days. The fever often goes as high as 105 and 108. 5-6 days after fever there are red eruption all over the body. Within 4-5 days pus is formed and all eruptions contain pus. There eruptions often cover not only the whole body but even the tongue, inner mouth and throat, eyes, nose etc. If the eruptions are close to each other the disease is considered to be serious. Ordinarily after 10-12 days these eruptions fade, pus is dried up and fever comes down. Those children who are vaccinated do not get this disease or even if it attacks, the attack is mild.

Any of the three Homoeopathic medicines, Variolinium 30/Viccininum 30/Malandrinum 30, can be given twice a week, and if there is some fever, it should be regarded as having served the purpose of vaccination.