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OF ARETÆUS, THE CAPPADOCIAN, ON THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE DISEASE
BOOK II.
CHAPTER VIII. ON THE ACUTE DISEASE OF THE VENA CAVA
[p. 281]
coldness of the extremities; intense thirst; dryness of the mouth;
redness of countenance, along with paleness; he is reddish
over the whole body; hypochondriac region hard, and retracted
upwards; pain principally on the right side, and palpitation
therein, extending to the flanks; and in certain cases, also, of
the artery along the spine, provided the pulsation displays
itself in the other hypochondriac region; for lying, as it does,
on the left side, it sympathises with the other; the exhalation
in the general system affording no relief, and not even making
the skin soft, for it is dry, shrivelled, and rough; and more
especially in the regions of the body where the bones are
prominent, such as the back part of the elbow, the knees, or
the knuckles. Sleep disturbed; the bowels, in certain cases,
discharging nothing, and in others, the discharges small, acrid,
bilious; urine, a bright yellow and pungent; not disordered, indeed,
in mind, but they are torpid and wasted. Hence, those
who have seen this constitution of disease have called it Causus,
for the present symptoms are those of a species of Causus; and
in autumn there is a tendency to malignity, both in adults and
the young, in whom the habit of body is slender, from bad
diet and hard labour. These, for the most part, die on the
fourteenth day; but when the disease is protracted, they die
in double that period. But those who either originally have a
slight inflammation, or when a great inflammation is gradually
resolved, escape the disease indeed, but never get rid of the
mischief; for they labour under causus a long time. But the
dangerous symptoms cease, namely, the pains, distension of
the hypochondria, the bad pulse, and torpor of the intellect;
but still they have nausea, are ill at ease, with distress of mind;
and, moreover, these are attended with an accession of causus
and thirst, dryness of the tongue and mouth; they inspire
largely, drawing in a long and copious breath, as if wishing to
draw in the whole atmosphere, for the purpose of refrigeration.
And if they drink a large draught of cold water, they are
