A history of the most remarkable pestilential distempers that have appeared in Europe for three hundred years last past. With what proved successful or hurtful in their cure. Together with the method of prevention and cure of the plague ... / [R. Brookes].

  • Brookes, R. (Richard), active 1721-1763
Date:
1721
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A history of the most remarkable pestilential distempers that have appeared in Europe for three hundred years last past. With what proved successful or hurtful in their cure. Together with the method of prevention and cure of the plague ... / [R. Brookes]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    A Hundred Tears twice told have took their flight Since Saturn mix'd with Mars his hated Light, . Who with their baleful Influence did infejl The rich and potent Nations of the Eaft : Hence rag'd a dreadful Peft, before unknown. Which feiz'd the Lungs, and made the Bread: itsThrone 5 Four Days it tyranniz'd with dreadful Sway, When Life in purple Streams broke out, and fled away. It began in the Eaftern Parts of the World, and paffed on uninterruptedly to all the Countries in the Weil 5 fo univerfal, fo great was the Dedrucfcion, that it’s pro - bable no Age ever faw the like : Thofe indeed, fpoke of by Galen, Thucydides and Avenzoar, are terrible enough in themfelves confider’d 5 but, when we compare them with this, our Admiration ceafes. . The Contagion was fo certain, that all friendly Offi¬ ces were forgot among Mankind, the deareft Friends and Relations deferting each other 3 and it was fome- thing rare, if the Dead happened to have Survivors that would bury them 5 and there were very few, if any, that were feiz’d, that efcaped, When this Didemper entered any Plaice, for the firft The fymy two Months it was accompanied with a Fever, Difficultytoms' of Breathing, and Spitting of Blood. The Difficulty of Breathing was fo great, that the Sick were obliged al¬ ways to be in a lit ting Podure, and c ould fcarce fwal- low any thing of any kind 5 they were exceeding reft- lefs, their Cheeks red and fiery : at firft they coughed violently, but brought up no Blood, afterwards a little, and then a confiderable Quantity 5 in three days time they died. But after the aforefaid two Months, be- fides the foregoing Symptoms, they had Spots and Ab- fce[fesy and died all in five days time. In procefs of time, when the Fury of the Difeafe be¬ gan to abate, the Lungs were affefted no longer, but the morbifick Matter was thrown upon the Groin, Arm- pits, and behind the Ears, and was not then fo mortal. It laded five Lears in fame Places, in England nine 5 there were fifty thoufand buried in oneYear in the Char- 50,000 bu- ter Houfe Church-yard at London. This was fucceeded ne^ln Qns with Murrain of Cattle, and Scarcity of all forts of Pro- fff at Lon vifions. * Schenck ’ms