mour; particularly, thick gruels, food made of unground wheat, with honey and water, or a great quantity of wine and milk.

Lean, bilious, hot, and dry bodies are more inclinable to the measles, than to the fmall-pox. But if they happen to be taken with the fmall-pox, the puftules are either few, diftinct, and favourable; or, on the contrary, very bad, irregular, deceitful, dry, with putrefaction, and no maturation.

Laftly, thin, and dry bodies, of a cold temperament, are neither fubject to the fmall-pox, nor to the measles. And if they happen to catch the fmall-pox, they have but few, in a moderate way, and without danger, with a very flight fever; becaufe fuch conftitutions extinguish the difeafe in its very beginning.

The feafons of the year in which the fmall-pox are most frequent, are various; they rage most at the latter end of the autumn, and the beginning of the fpring and when in the fummer there are great and frequent rains, with continual fouth-winds; and laftly, when the winter is warm, and the winds foutherly.

When the fummer is exceffively hot and dry, and fucceeded by a hot autumn, in which rains come on very late; then the mealles quickly feize those who are disposed to them, that is, those who are lean, họt, and of bilious conftitutions.

But all these things admit of great differences, by reafon of the diverfity of countries and places, and occult difpofitions in the air, which bring on those diftempers, and render bodies fubject to them. And therefore, at fuch times great diligence is to be used

in the prefervation from them; as we fhall fhew in the fequel.

Of the prognostic figns of the eruption of the smallpox and measles.

TH

HE eruption of the finall-pox is preceded by a continual fever, a pain in the back, itching in the nofe, and terrours in fleep. These are the proper figns of the approaching small-pox, especially the pain in the back, with a fever; and also a pricking, which the patient feels all over his body; together with a fulness and redness of the face, which at times goes and comes a redness of the eyes, a heaviness of the whole body; frequent yawnings, a pain in the throat and breast, with a difficulty in breathing, and ftraitnefs in the gullet, then a drinefs of the mouth, thick fpittle, a hoarfenefs of the voice; head-ach, anxiety of mind, inquietude; fick qualms and heavinefs of heart with this difference, that anxiety of mind, fick qualms, and heavinefs of heart, opprefs more in the measles than in the finall-pox, unless the fmallpox be of a bad fort; for the meafles are from a very bilious blood. And, on the other hand, the pain in the back, the heat and inflammation of the whole body, especially in the throat, with a fhining redness, are more proper to the fmall-pox than to the

measles.

Wherefore, upon the appearance of these figns, or fome of the worst of them, you may be affured, that one or the other of thefe difeafes is nigh at hand,

As

As to the fafer kind of the fmall-pox; in thefe, the quantity of blood is greater than its bad quality; and hence arifes the pain of the back; the greater blood-veffels, which are fituated near the vertebræ of the back, being diftended with too great a quantity of blood.

CHA P. IV.

Of the regimen, or cure of the fmall-pox in general.

TH

HE first article fhall be of the preservation to be used, before the figns of the fmall-pox appear; and after they have appeared, how the difeafe may be leffened.

The fecond, concerning the eruption.

The third, the care to be taken of the eyes, ears, nofe, throat, and joints.

The fourth, of the ripening of the puftules.
The fifth, of their drying.

The fixth, how the fcales and crufts are to be cleared from the eyes, and the rest of the body. The feventh, of destroying the marks.

The eighth, of the diet in the small-pox. The ninth, of regulating the discharge by the intestines.

The tenth, of curable and incurable fmall-pox and meafles.

Of each of these I fhall, God willing, briefly, but fufficiently discourse.

CHAP.

C H A P.

V.

Of prefervation from, and leffening the difeafe.

B

Lood ought to be taken away from children and young men, if they have never had the fmallpox, or have only had what is called the chicken-pox, (efpecially at fuch feafons as we have above defcribed), before they are feized with a fever, and the figns of the difeafe appear. A vein may be opened in thofe who are fourteen years old; to those who are younger, cupping glaffes must be applied, and their lodgings fhould be kept cool.

Let their diet be yellow lentils, tarts made of unripe grapes, minced flesh-meat, dreffed with vinegar and honey, or with the acid fyrup; to which raifins, a few figs, and chiches are fometimes added: alfo kid-broth, veal-jellies, and boiled woodcocks and hens. But thefe must be mixed with the juice of unripe grapes.

Their drink fhould be water cooled with fnow, or clear spring-water cold; with which their chamber may also be fprinkled.

Let them frequently eat acid pomegranates, and the infpiffated juices of acid and aftringent fruits, as pomegranates, currants *, and the like.

Where the constitution is hot, and there is a great inflammation; barley-water, with a fourth part of acid pomegranate juice, may be drank in the morning.

*The Arabic word is Ribas, which alfo fignifies a fort of lapathum acetofum, or forrel, of which the red and acid juice boiled to two thirds, is called Reb de Ribes. See Golii lexic.

But

But if the heat be less, a ptifan of barley, with fugar, is proper; and vinegar, lentils, pomegranates, and the juice of unripe grapes, may be added to the food; for all these thicken and cool the blood, and make the distemper more mild.

This regimen is of great fervice in all times of peftilence; for it diminishes the malignity of peftilential ulcers and boils; and prevents quinfeys, pleurifies, and all diftempers arifing from bile and blood.

The patient may go into cold water, and fwim in it about noon. He muft abftain from new milk, wine, dates, honey, and, in general, from swee; things, and meats made by a mixture of flefh, onions, oil, butter, and cheefe; from mutton, beef, shell-fish, high-seasoned things, and hot feeds. Inftead of thefe, in times of contagion, he may eat young birds and if the temperament be hot and moist, liable to putrefaction, or hot and dry, and apt to be inflamed; he muft eat as follows; that is, in the hot and dry conftitution, cooling and moist garden-herbs, purslain, mallows, beet, gourds, cucumbers, forrel, and small pompions.

:

As to fweet melons, they are forbidden; and if any one by chance eats of them, he must prefently drink a fpoonful of the juice of fome of the acid fruits. He may be allowed foft fish, and butter-milk.

To the food of thofe who are corpulent, flefby, and of a rudy complexion, fuch cooling and drying things, as we have mentioned, may be added.. They should all forbear labour, fatigue, bathing, venery, walking or riding in the fun and dust, drinking of ftagnating waters, blafted fruits, or mouldy herbs ; and alfo figs and grapes: because thefe drive the hu

mours