Eruptive Fevers

Eruptive Fevers is a collection of lectures, which together describe the medical establishment’s understanding of diseases characterized by fever during the 1870s.

In the 19th century, the absence of modern treatments and preventative measures made outbreaks of feverish disease dangerous, with various epidemics claiming thousands of lives. While the medical profession directed resources to the discovery and experimentation of new treatments, many of the medicines mentioned in this book – mercury and arsenic to name but two – have since been demonstrated as ineffective. In several cases, the doctors of the time have recourse only to herbal remedies, such as belladonna, as a means of alleviating symptoms.

Although the information herein is outdated and superseded by later developments in medical science, the text offers fascinating historical insight into how physicians and researchers of the 19th century arrived at their diagnoses and understanding of feverish conditions. Certain promising treatments available at the time, such as inoculation and vaccination, are detailed alongside the famous story concerning the discovery of smallpox inoculation.