Loimographia: an account of the Great Plague of London in the year 1665. Now first printed from the British Museum Sloan MS. 349, for the Epidemiological Society of London / By William Boghurst... ; Edited by Joseph Frank Payne.

  • Boghurst, William.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Loimographia: an account of the Great Plague of London in the year 1665. Now first printed from the British Museum Sloan MS. 349, for the Epidemiological Society of London / By William Boghurst... ; Edited by Joseph Frank Payne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    understanding and apprehension of the manner of things. This fault happened to people usually two or 3 dayes before they dyed, and by reason of this was one of the first evill signes that appeared like a beacon that gave notice afar off •what would follow, and that the enemy approached. It con- sisted in a certain lisping or speaking on one side of the mouth, soe as their words seemed to bee cut off from the mouth before they were quite spoken out, as if they were faint and wanted breath to speak them quite out. Some- tymes they spake more inwardly towards the throat. I remember but one Patient that I had, lived, that was troubled with it, which was a woman of a very strong constitution and had her courses all the tyme of her sickness. 11. Gontinuall sleep and droiosyness. About the begining of the disease, viz., about March, I wondered what people ayled. I had thought they had got lethargies, they were soe drowsy. This disposition most tymes invaded people aboiit the beginning of their falling sick, and usually they sweat much with it also, and commonly had nothing broke out upon them, but if they had, if their sleeping continued, they dyed notwithstanding. .12. Great Thirst contimdng ; this tormented them not soe much at the beginning of the disease as some dayes after, and a day or two before they dyed. This drinking much commonly kept their vomiting afoot, and soe did them mischiefe; it also swelled their belly and lungs ; now those that restrained their appetite and would not drink as much as they desired did best. Colerick people that had Car- buncles were grievously thirsty. If it continued upon people, though they had never soe good sores on them, yet it commonly killed them, and if they had a shortness and suffocation of breath and stopping at stomach with it they alwaies dyed. Those that are poysoned are commonly very thirsty, and if they drink much it swells and kills them— the lungs, liver, and stomach were chiefly affected, but most the lungs. 13. Want of eruptions or Sores. When these would not appear they were alwaies in danger as long as they lay sick, and.if they came forth but low or flat; for it showed nature to bee but -weak, distracted and hindered in her worke. Many gpeople by, purging too much, others by vomiting, sweating, or bleeding, hindered their sores from coming forth, and while nature thrust one way, they strove a contrary way, and while they thought to empty out the disease by evacu- ating the humors, they, commonly soe weakened the body and spirits that nature would noe longer bear up against the