The second Class of the Diseased that we attended during the Course of
this fatal Sickness, contains such as at first had the Shiverings, as the
preceding, and the same sort of Stupidity, and heavy Pain in the Head; but
the Shiverings were followed by a Pulse quick, open, and bold, which
nevertheless was lost upon pressing the Artery ever so little. These Sick
felt inwardly a burning Heat, whilst the Heat without was moderate and
temperate; the Thirst was great and inextinguishable; the Tongue white, or
of an obscure red; the Voice hasty, stammering, impetuous; the Eyes
reddish, fixed, sparkling; the Colour of the Face was of a red
sufficiently fresh, and sometimes inclining to livid; the Sickness at the
Stomach was frequent, tho' much less than in those of the preceding Class;
the Respiration was frequent, laborious, or great and rare, without
Coughing or Pain; Loathings; Vomitings, bilious, greenish, blackish,
bloody; the Courses of the Belly of the same Sort, but without any Tension
or Pain; Ravings, or phrenetick Deliria; the Urine frequently natural,
sometimes troubled, blackish, whitish, or bloody; the Sweat, which seldom
smelt badly, and which was far from giving Ease to the Sick, that it
always weakned them; in certain Cases Hemorrhages, which, however
moderate, have been always fatal; a great Decay in the Strength, and above
all, an Apprehension so strong of dying, that these poor Creatures, were
incapable of any Comfort, and looked on themselves, from the first Moment
of their being attacked, as destined to certain Death. But that which
deserves to be well observed, and which has always seemed to characterise
and distinguish this Disease from all others, is, that almost all had at
the Beginning, or in the Progress of this Distemper, very painful Buboes,
situated commonly below the Groin, sometimes in the Groin or Arm-pits, or
in the Parotide, Maxillar, or jugular Glands; as likewise Carbuncles,
especially on the Arms, Legs or Thighs, small, white, livid, black
Pustles, dispersed over all the Surface of the Body.
It was very rare to see any of the diseased of this Second Class escape,
though they supported themselves a little longer than those of the
preceding; they perished almost all with the Marks of a gangren'd
Inflammation, especially in the Brain and Thorax; and that which was most
singular is, that the stronger, fatter, fuller, and more vigorous they
were, the less we had to hope.
As to the Remedies, they bore Bleeding no better than those of the First
Class; at least if they were not blooded at the very first Instant of
their being taken Sick: It was evidently hurtful to 'em; they grew pale,
and fell even in the time of their first Bleeding, or a little while
after, into such Faintings, as could not in most of them be imputed to any
Fear, Repugnance, or Distrust, since they demanded with Earnestness to
have a Vein opened.
All Emeticks, if we except _Ipecacuanha_, were very often more hurtful
than useful; causing such fatal Irritations and Excesses in operating, as
we could neither moderate or stop.
The Catharticks that were a little strong and active, were attended with
the same Inconveniences.
Such as we prescribed in the Form of a laxative Ptisan, as well as
plentiful Draughts, that were diluting, nitrous, cooling, and gently
alexiterial, gave some Relief, but did not hinder the Return of the
Symptoms.
All Cordials and Sudorificks, if they were not soft, gentle and benign,
did nothing but promote the Progress of the inward Inflammations.
In short, if any one escaped, which was very rare, he seem'd to owe his
Cure to the external Eruptions, when they were very much raised; either
solely by the Force of Nature, or by the Assistance of Remedies, as well
internal as external, that determined the Blood to discharge on the
Surface of the Body, the noxious Ferment wherewith it was infected.