A treatise of the plague contayning the causes, signes, symptomes, prognosticks, and cure thereof. Together with sundry other remarkable passages (for the prevention of, and preservation from the pestilence) never yet published by anie man. Collected out of the workes of the no lesse learned than experimented and renowned chirurgian Ambrose Parey.

CHAP. IX.

Of the signes of such as are insected with the Plague.

WE must not stay so long before we pronounce one to haue the Plague, vntill there be paine and a tumour vnder his Arme-holes, or in his Groyne, or Spots (vulgarly called Tokens) appeare ouer all the Body, or Carbuncles arise: For many dye through the venenate malignitie, be∣fore these signes doe appeare. Wherefore the chiefest and truest signes of this Disease, are to be taken from the Heart, being the Mansion of Life, which chiefly, and first of all is wont to be assaulted by the force of the Poyson. Therefore they that are infected with the Pestilence, are vexed with often swoundings, and fainting; their Pulse is

feebler and slower then others, but some-times more fre∣quent, but that is specially in the night season; they feele prickings ouer all their Body, as if it were the pricking of Needles; but their Nose-thrils doe itch especially▪ by occasion of the maligne vapours rysing vpwards from the lower and inner, into the vpper parts, their Breast bur∣neth, their Heart beateth, with paine vnder the left Dug, difficultie of taking breath, Ptissicke, Cough, paine of the Heart, & such an elation or puffing vp of the Hypocondria or sides of the Belly distended with the aboundance of vapours raysed by the force of the feuerish heat, that the Patient will in a manner seeme to haue the Tympanie. They are molested with a desire to vomit, and oftentimes with much and painfull vomiting, wherein greene and blacke matter is seene, and alwayes of diuers colours, answering in proportion to the excrements of the lower parts, the Sto∣macke being drawne into a consent with the Heart, by rea∣son of the vicinitie and communion of the Vessels; often∣times Blood alone, and that pure, is excluded and cast vp in vomiting; and it is not onely cast vp by vomiting out of the Stomacke, but also verie often out of the Nose∣thrils, Fundament, and in Women out of the Wombe; the inward parts are often burned, and the outward parts are stiffe with cold, the whole heat of the Patient being drawne violently inward, after the manner of a Cupping-Glasse, by the strong burning of the inner parts; then the Eye-lids wax blew, as it were through some contusion, all the whole Face hath a horrid aspect, and as it were the co∣lour of Lead, the Eyes are burning red, and, as it were, swolne or puffed vp with Blood, or any other humour, shed teares; and to conclude, the whole habite of the Bo∣dy is some-what changed and turned yellow.

Many haue a burning Feauer, which doth shew it selfe by the Pacients vlcerated Iawes, vnquenchable thirst, dry∣nesse and blacknesse of the Tongue, and it causeth such a Phrensie by inflaming the Braine, that the Pacients running naked out of their Beads, seeke to throw themselues out

of Windowes into the Pits and Riuers that are at hand. In some the Ioynts of their Body are so weakned, that they cannot goe nor stand, from the beginning they are as it were buryed in a long swound and deepe sleepe, by reason that the Feauer sendeth vp to the Brayne the grosse vapors from the crude and cold humors, as it were from greene Wood newly kindled to make a Fire.

Such sleeping doth hold them especially while the mat∣ter of the Sore or Carbuncle is drawne together and be∣ginneth to come to suppuration. Often-times when they are awaked out of sleepe, there doe spots and markes ap∣peare dispersed ouer the Skin, with a stinking sweat. But if those vapours be sharpe that are stirred vp vnto the Head, in stead of sleepe they cause great waking, and al∣wayes there is much diuersitie of accidents in the Vrine of those that are infected with the Plague, by reason of the diuers temperature and condition of Bodyes: neither is the vrine at all times, and in all Men of the same consistence and colour: For some-times they are like vnto the vrine of those that are sound and in health, that is to say, laudable in colour and substance, because that when the Heart is affe∣cted by the venomous Aire, that entereth in vnto it, the Spirits are more greatly grieued and molested then the hu∣mours: but those, i. the Spirits, are infected and corrupted when these doe begin to corrupt.

But Vrines onely shew the dispositions of the humours or parts in which they are made, collected together, and through which they doe passe.

This reason seemeth truer to me then theirs which say, that Nature terrified with the malignitie of the Poyson auoyds contention, and doth not resist or labour to digest the matter that causeth the Disease.

Many haue their appetites so ouerthrowne, that they can abstaine from meat for the space of three dayes together.

And to conclude, the varietie of accidents is almost infi∣nite, which appeare and spring vp in this kind of Disease, by reason of the diuersitie of the Poyson and condition of

the Bodyes and greeued parts: but they doe not all ap∣peare in each Man, but some in one, and some in another.