Nine books of physick and chirurgery written by that great and learned physitian, Dr Sennertus. The first five being his Institutions of the whole body of physick: the other four of fevers and agues: with their differences, signs, and cures.

CHAP. XVII. Of a malignant Fever, with a Catarrh, and a Cough, and the Squincy.

SOmtimes an Epidemical Catarrh and Cough accompany Malignant Fevers; * 1.1 such a Fever in the year 1510. 1557. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 1580. and 1591. and especially in the year 1580. spread o∣ver most parts of Europe under the Northern Equinoctial And that disease was then called a Feverish Catarrh, and a Chatarrish Fever, also a suffocating Fever, der Bien und Schafshusten, Shafteranctheit und hus Nerwehe.

This Fever came with heaviness in sleep, pain of the head, a dry cough, pain of the breasts, hoarseness, pain of the stomack, difficulty of breathing, which even when the cough ceased would continue till the fourteenth day.

This Fever proceeded from the moistness of the fort-going years; * 1.2 for when peccant humours were cumulated in the bo∣dy, by reason of that irregularity of the ayr, and at length be∣came putred, and malignant, and adverse to the head and breast; thence a continued Fever was kindled, and with part of the peccant humours gotten into the brain and breasts, a ca∣tarrh and cough was generated.

This disease, although most men had it, yet it was not mortal; for almost all men had it, and scarce one of a thou∣sand died therewith.

This Fever was cured as other malignant Fevers, * 1.3 also by re∣garding the putrifaction and malignity, and lastly, in having respect to the head and breast, which were principally troubled with this Catarrh and Cough.

Breathing a vein was not then proper, and it was found by experience, that for the most part they all died that were let blood.

But lenitive purgers were proper, because the matter did reside in the first wayes; afterwards there was administred such things as might alter the matter in the head and breast, as use to be given for a Catarrh and a Cough, and those things that resisted malignity were not to be neglected.

Lastly, * 1.4 sometimes a Squincy, Pleurisie, Peripneumonia, is joyned with a malignant Fever, and spreads over many places, as it hapned in the year 1348. as Fracastorius relates, and in

the year 1557. as Dodonaeus in chap. 21. of his observations witnesseth, and in the year 1564. likewise.

VVhich Fevers for the most part did arise from the contra∣riety of ayr, and principally from its over-moist constrution, even as epidemial dysenteries arose from precedent driness of the ayr, such as hapned in the year 158••, and 1626.

Those Fevers were cured as others that were malignant. But this is to be noted besides, * 1.5 that regard must be taken of that part wherein the force of the disease or symptome joyned there∣with resides most, and the disease and symptome which accom∣pany the malignant Fever should be cured in the same manner as is propounded in the cure of particular diseases.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A malig∣nant Fe∣ver with a Catarrh and a Cough.
• * 1.2

  The causes.
• * 1.3

  Cure.
• * 1.4

  A malig∣nant fever with a Squincy.
• * 1.5

  Cure.