as a distinguished physician in his day, which illustrates
the distinction between sign and symptom. Once, when dangerously ill, he
overheard two of his friends in attendance upon him recount his
symptoms, such as "Redness of the face, a dejected, haggard, and
inflamed appearance," etc. He cried out to them to adopt every necessary
measure forthwith, as he was threatened with delirium. The two friends
saw the _symptoms_ well enough; but it was only Galen himself, though
the _patient_, who was able to deduce the _sign_ of delirium--that is,
he alone was able to translate those symptoms into signs. To determine
the value of symptoms, as signs of disease, requires close observation.

INTERPRETATION OF SYMPTOMS.

We shall refer to a few symptoms which any unprofessional reader may
readily observe and understand.

POSITION OF PATIENT. When a patient is disposed to lie upon his back
continually during the progress of an acute disease, it is a sign of
_muscular debility_. If he manifests no desire to change his position,
or cannot do so, and becomes tremulous at the least effort, it indicates
_general prostration_. When this position is assumed, during the
progress of continued fever, and is accompanied by involuntary twitching
of the muscles, picking of the bed-clothes, etc., then danger is
imminent and _the patient is sinking_. Fever, resulting from local
inflammation, does not produce muscular prostration, and the patient
seldom or never assumes the supine position. If this inflammation is in
the extremities, those parts are elevated, in order to lessen the
pressure of the blood, which a dependent, position increases.

For example, let us change the scene, and introduce a patient with head
and shoulders elevated, who prefers to sit up, and who places his hands
behind him and leans back, or leans forward resting his arms and head
upon a chair. The next week he is worse, and no longer tries to lie in
bed, but sits up all the time; note the anxious expression of
countenance, the difficult or hurried breathing, the dry and hacking
cough, and observe that the least exertion increases the difficulty of
respiration and causes palpitation of the heart. These plain symptoms
signify thoracic effusion, the collection of water about the lungs.

THE COUNTENANCE displays diagnostic symptoms of disease. In simple,
acute fevers, the eyes and face are red and the respiration is hurried;
but in acute, sympathetic fever, these signs a