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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.



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