Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
A Treatise on Fevers (Author: [unknown])
Section 3
{TCD 1299 page and line 26b30} Let it be asked whether there are four periods in every fever, i.e., beginning, increase, status, and decrease; it seems there are not, for Galenus says there are illnesses which are usually in one state, as Hippocrates says in this canon: ‘Quibus ... etc.’, according to that, the four periods do not occur in every fever. This is opposed, according to Aristotle, who says there are four periods in every fever. And note that those four periods are understood in two ways, i.e. completely and partially. And the complete periods are those that continue throughout the illness. And the partial periods
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of the illness are the periods of the access. And the complete periods are divided in two manners, i.e. first with respect to the digestion of the matter, and secondly with respect to the non-digestion. According to that the beginning of the illness is the point at which the symptom of digestion is not evident, as Avicenna says in the first canon that the beginning of the illness is when the natural heat is suppressed by the matter of the disease, until the symptom of digestion is evident. And the increase is the period in which the symptom of digestion clearly begins, as Avicenna says, that the increase is simply the period when the natural heat is moved to contend with the matter of the illness, revealing the symptom of digestion or non-digestion. And the status, according to Avicenna, is when it reaches the definite end of the unfavourable accidental ailments, together with the digestion of the matter, or with its non-digestion, if it be a mortal illness. And Avicenna says in the first book that the status is simply a vehement fight between nature and the illness. And the decrease is when the matter begins to {TCD 1299 page and line 27a1} undergo digestion and expulsion, and it is about that Avicenna says: ‘Principium ...’ i.e. The beginning is — as we have said. And the increase is when the unfavourable accidental ailments are much strengthened. And the status is when the unfavourable accidental ailments are very violent. And the decrease is when the unfavourable accidental ailments visibly diminish. And the partial periods that are in the paroxysm only are divided with regard to the accidental ailments. And the beginning of the paroxysm is when the heat turns from the heart to the external members. And the increase of the paroxysm is when the heat turns from the other members to the heart. And its status is when the heat is dispersed completely through all the members. And the decrease of the paroxysm is when the heat is diminished and lessened. We answer this question according to Avicenna who says that every illness from which one recovers has four periods in general. And Avicenna says that mortal illnesses have not four periods in general, and this conclusion is affirmed according to Galenus in the book De Crisi, who says that one does not die in the
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decrease of an illness, accordingly, there are not four periods in a mortal illness, though Avicenna says that a certain mortal illness has four periods partially, as we said above.