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OF ARETÆUS, THE CAPPADOCIAN, ON THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE DISEASE
BOOK II.
CHAPTER IX. ON ACUTE AFFECTIONS OF THE KIDNEYS
[p. 283]
supervene. This miserable state and the conjoined
feeling become similar to that of tympanites produced by indigestion,
from the taking of too much food. Pulse, at first,
indeed, slow and languid; but, if the evil press harder, small,
frequent, tumultuous, and irregular: sleep slight, painful, not
continued; and suddenly starting up as if from the stroke of a
sharp instrument, they fall over again into a deep sleep as if
from fatigue: they are not much deranged in intellect, but
talk incoherently; the countenance livid. But if the desire of
making water return again, the patients pass a small quantity
in drops, along with spasms and great pains, when, for a short
time, they are relieved from their sufferings, and again they
experience a relapse. Of those that die, they sink most
quickly who pass no urine; but the greater part recover,
either from the stone dropping down into the bladder along
with the urine, or from the inflammation being converted into
pus, or from being gradually dispelled. For, if the urine pass
easily even in small quantity, they escape death; but for a
length of time they waste in constitution; the patients undergo
these sufferings while still able to keep up, but gradually fall
into a state of consumption. The same seasons, places, and
ages induce these affections as induce those in connection with
the venæ cavæ.
Sometimes blood bursts from the kidneys suddenly in large
quantity, and flows continuously for many days. None, however,
die from the hemorrhage itself, but from the inflammation
accompanying the hemorrhage, if the bleeding is stopped;
but most frequently they die of strong inflammation induced
by the stoppage.
