A middle-aged woman was inoculated, May 15, 1765. She began to complain
on the 23d; the fever and other symptoms were very moderate. On the
26th an eruption, distinct in kind, small in number, shewed itself; all
the eruptive symptoms ceased, and she seemed perfectly well.
On the 29th she complained that her throat was sore, felt stiff, and
swelled; but as this is not unusual, little regard was paid to it.
30th. She rested ill, her throat was worse, and it now gave her
great pain to swallow. She had also been taken with a shivering fit,
succeeded by fever. On inspecting the throat I could not perceive
one pustule there, but the uvula and tonsils were very much swelled
and inflamed. An acidulated gargle was directed, and a lenitive
purge, which in the evening had operated thrice; the gargle had
been frequently used, but the difficulty of swallowing was greatly
increased, insomuch that she could get nothing down; the fever too
was rather increased. Further help could not now be expected from
internals; for upon making the trial, liquids returned through the
nose. I directed a blister to be applied to the throat, and that she
should frequently gargle with warm pectoral drink.
31st. She had not slept a minute, being disturbed, whenever she
attempted it, with such sudden startings as made her afraid to sleep.
The feverish heat was not very great, the pulse extremely quick, and
all the liquids she attempted to swallow still came through the nose.
She could not lie down in bed, and therefore sat up in an easy chair
the greatest part of the night.
The pustules, which in the face did not exceed twenty, and very few
appeared elsewhere, advanced to maturation kindly, without receiving
the least check from this adventitious illness. Her speech was so much
affected as scarce to be understood. She informed me, however, that she
was subject to an illness of this kind; and had once narrowly escaped
with her life, but had never been so bad before. I directed twelve
ounces of blood to be taken from the arm, and that the sublingual veins
should be pricked. But no relief seemed to be derived from any of these
measures; and upon inspecting the throat again, the glands, uvula, and
fauces were very much inflamed and distended. The tonsils were then
lanced pretty deep, and a good deal of blood being discharged, the
swelling of the parts subsided, so as to admit her to swallow, though
with difficulty, a little pectoral drink, and afterwards few spoonfuls
of milk pottage.
June 1st. She had rested but very little, though exceeding drowsy, and
worn out for want of sleep; for the sudden startings, upon closing
her eyes, still remained, though not in so great a degree as the
preceding night; but she had swallowed some liquids, though with great
difficulty. The feverish heat was not very great, the pulse quick and
more feeble.
On inspecting the throat towards noon, the swelling, though somewhat
abated, was still considerable enough to prevent much being swallowed.
In this dangerous situation the operation that had administered some
relief was repeated, and other parts of the tonsils and fauces, which
had not been wounded before, were now lanced pretty deep; a large
quantity of blood was discharged, the parts collapsed, and in less
than an hour she was able to swallow liquids; after which she got
some refreshing sleep, recovered fast, and is now in good health.
The pustules, notwithstanding this illness, advanced very kindly to
maturation, and turned on the 7th day from the eruption.