CHAP. I. Of the causes of the Small Pox and Meazles.
FOR that the small Pox and Meazles are diseases, which usually are fore-runners and fore∣tellers of the Plague, not onely by the corruption of humors, but oftimes by default or the air; moreover, for that worms are oft-times generated in the plague, I have thought good to write of these things, to the end that by this treatise the young Surgeon may be more amply and perfectly instructed in that pestilent disease. Also I have thought good to treat of the Lepro∣sie as being the off-spring of the highest corruption of humors in the body. Now the small Pox are pustles, and the Meazles spots, which arise in the top of the skin by reason of the impurity of the corrupt blood sent thither by the force of nature.* 1.1 Most of the Antients have delivered that this impurity is the reliques of the menstruous blood remaining in the body of the infant, being of that matter from whence it drew nourishment in the womb, which lying still or quiet for some space of time, but stirred up at the first opportunity of a hotter Summer, or a southerly or rainy season, or a hidden malignity in the air, and boiling up, or working with the whole masse of the blood, spread or shew themselves upon the whole surface of the body. An argument here∣of is, there are few or none who have not been troubled with this disease, at least once in their lives, which when it begins to shew it self, not con••ent to set upon some one, it commonly seai∣zeth upon more: now commonly there is as much difference between the small pox and mea∣zles, as there is between a Carbuncle and a pestilent Bubo. For the small pox arise of a more gross and viscous matter; to wit, of a phlegmatick humor. But the meazles of a more subtil and hot; that is, a cholerick matter, therefore this yeilds no marks therefore, but certain small spots without any tumor, and these either red, purple, or black. But the small pox are extuberateing pustles, white in the midst, but red in the circumference, an argument of blood mixed with cho∣ler, yet they are scarce known at the beginning, that is on the first or second day they appear; but on the third and fourth day they bunch out and rise up into a tumor, becoming white before they turn into a scab; but the meazles remain still the same.* 1.2 Furthermore the small pox prick like needles by reason of a certain acrimony, and cause an itching; the meazles do neither, either because the matter is not so acrid and biteing, or else for that it is more subtil, it easily exhales, neither is it kept shut up under the skin. The patients often sneeze when as these matters seek pass∣age out, by reason of the putrid vapors ascending from the lower parts upwards to the brain. They are held with a continual Fever, with pains in their backs, itching of their nose, head-ach, and a vertiginous heaviness, and with a kind of swounding or fainting, a nauseous disposition, and vo∣miting, a hoarsness, difficult and frequent breathing, an inclination to sleep, a heavines of all the members, their eyes are fiery and swollen, their urine red and troubled; For prognosticks, wee may truely say this much, That the matter whence this affect takes its original, pertakes of so malign, pestilent and contagious a quality, that not content to mangle and spoil the fleshy part it also eats and corrupts the bones like the Lues Venerea, as I observed not onely in Anno Dom, 1568. but also in diverse other years, whereof I think it not amiss to set down this notable. example.* 1.3
The daughter of Claude Pique a book-sellar, dwelling in S. James his street at Paris, being some four or five years old, haveing been sick of the small pox for the space of a moneth, and nature could not overcome the malignity of the disease, there rose abscesses upon the sternon & the joynts of the shoulders, whose eating and virulent matter, corroded the bones of the sternon, and divided them in sunder; also it consumed a great part of the top of the shoulder bone, and the head of the blade-bone: of this thing I had witnesses with me, Marcus Myron Physician of Paris, and at this present the Kings chief physician, John Doreau Surgeon to to the Conte de Bryane, the body being dis∣sected in their presence. Also you may observe in many killed by the malignity of this disease and dissected, that it causeth such impression of corruption in the principal parts, as brings the dropsie,* 1.4 ptisick, a horseness, Asthma, bloody flux ulcerating the guts, and at length bringeth death, as the pustles have raged or raigned over these or these entrails, as you see them do over the surface of the body; for they do not onely molest the external parts, by leaving the impressions & scars of the postles & ulcers, rooting themselves deep in the flesh, but also oftimes then take away the faculty of motion, eating asunder, & weakning the joynts of the elbow, wrest, knee & ancle. Moreover sundry have been deprived of their sight by them, as the Lord Guymenay, others have lost their hearing