Mackenzie reports the temperature-range of a woman of forty-two
who suffered with erysipelatous inflammation of a stump of the
leg. Throughout a somewhat protracted illness, lasting from
February 20 to April 22, 1879, the temperature many times
registered between 108 degrees and 111 degrees F. About a year
later she was again troubled with the stump, and this time the
temperature reached as high as 114 degrees. Although under the
circumstances, as any rational physician would, Mackenzie
suspected fraud, he could not detect any method of deception.
Finally the woman confessed that she had produced the temperature
artificially by means of hot-water bottles, poultices, etc.
MacNab records a case of rheumatic fever in which the temperature
was 111.4 degrees F. as indicated by two thermometers, one in the
axilla and the other in the groin. This high degree of
temperature was maintained after death. Before the Clinical
Society of London, Teale reported a case in which, at different
times, there were recorded temperatures from 110 degrees to 120
degrees F.in the mouth, rectum, and axilla. According to a
comment in the Lancet, there was no way that the patient could
have artificially produced this temperature, and during
convalescence the thermometer used registered normal as well as
subnormal temperatures.
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