INTERMITTENT MALARIAL FEVER
Categories:
Infectious Diseases
The symptoms of all these are the same, except that in tertian
fever, the paroxysms occur every third day; in quartan they occur every
fourth day. Quotidian occurs daily.
The incubation time is unknown. It consists usually of three stages, cold,
hot, and sweating, and they usually occur in the morning. "The cold stage
is ushered in by yawning, lassitude and headache, and rapid rise of
temperature; sometim
s nausea and vomiting followed by shivering and
rather violent shaking with chattering of the teeth." It may last from ten
minutes to two hours. The internal temperature may rise to 104 to 106
degrees, while the surface is blue and cold, with severe headache, often
nausea and vomiting. Hot stage: this may last from one-half to five hours;
the temperature may increase somewhat, the face is flushed, the skin is
red and hot, great thirst, throbbing headache and full bounding pulse.
Sweating stage lasts two to four hours, and entire body may be covered;
fever and other symptoms abate and sleep usually follows. The patient
feels nearly well between attacks.