ay. In nervous fever
the pain of the head generally affects the middle of the forehead; in
hydrocephalus internus it is generally on one side of the head. One of the
earliest criterions is the patient being uneasy on raising his head from
the pillow, and wishing to lie down again immediately; which I suppose is
owing to the pressure of the water on the larger trunks of the
blood-vessels entering the cavity being more intolerable than on the
smaller ones; for if the larger trunks are compressed, it must
inconvenience the branches also; but if some of the small branches are
compressed only, the trunks are not so immediately incommoded.

Blisters on the head, and mercurial ointment externally, with calomel
internally, are principally recommended in this fatal disease. When the
patient cannot bear to be raised up in bed without great uneasiness, it is
a bad symptom. So I believe is deafness, which is commonly mistaken for
stupor. See Class I. 2. 5. 6. And when the dilatation of the pupil of
either eye, or the squinting is very apparent, or the pupils of both eyes
much dilated, it is generally fatal. As by stimulating one branch of
lymphatics into inverted motion, another branch is liable to absorb its
fluid more hastily; suppose strong errhines, as common tobacco snuff to
children, or one grain of turpeth mineral, (Hydrargyrus vitriolatus), mixed
with ten or fifteen grains of sugar, was gradually blown up the nostrils?
See Class I. 3. 2. 1. I have tried common snuff upon two children in this
disease; one could not be made to sneeze, and the other was too near death
to receive advantage. When the mercurial preparations have produced
salivation, I believe they may have been of service, but I doubt their good
effect otherwise. In one child I tried the tincture of Digitalis; but it
was given with too timid a hand, and too late in the disease, to determine
its effects. See Sect. XXIX. 5. 9.

As all the above remedies generally fail of success, I think frequent,
almost hourly, shocks of electricity from very small charges might be
passed through the head in all directions with probability of good event.
And the use of the trephine, where the affected side can be distinguished.
See Strabismus, Class I. 2. 5. 4. When one eye is affected, does the
disease exist in the ventricule of that side?

13. _Ascites._ The dropsy of the cavity of the abdomen is known by a tense
swelling of the belly; which does not sound on being struck like