Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/239

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the PLAGUE.
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Manner, on differing Conſtitutions; ſome were immediately overwhelm’d with it, and it came to violent Fevers, Vomitings, unſufferable Head-achs, Pains in the Back, and ſo up to Ravings and Ragings with thoſe Pains. Others with Swellings and Tumours in the Neck or Groyn, or Arm-pits which till they could be broke, put them into inſufferable Agonies and Torment; while others, as I have obſerv’d, were ſilently infected, the Fever preying upon their Spirits inſenſibly, and they ſeeing little of it, till they fell into ſwooning, and faintings, and Death without pain.

I am not Phyſician enough to enter into the particular Reaſons and Manner of theſe differing Effects of one and the ſame Diſtemper, and of its differing Operation in ſeveral Bodies; nor is it my Buſineſs here to record the Obſervations, which I really made, becauſe the Doctors themſelves, have done that part much more effectually than I can do, and becauſe my opinion may in ſome things differ from theirs: I am only relating what I know, or have heard, or believe of the particular Caſes,and what fell within the Compaſs of my View, and the different Nature of the Infection, as it appeared in the particular Caſes which I have related; but this may be added too, that tho’ the former Sort of thoſe Caſes, namely thoſe openly viſited, were the worſt for themſelves as to Pain, I mean thoſe that had ſuch Fevers, Vomitings, Head-achs, Pains and Swellings, becauſe they died in ſuch a dreadful Manner, yet the latter had the worſt State of the Diſeaſe; for in the former they frequently recover’d, eſpecially if the Swellings broke, but the latter was inevitable Death; no cure, no help cou’d be poſſible, nothing could follow but Death; and it was worſe alſo to others, becauſe as, above, it ſecretly, and unperceiv’d by others, or by themſelves, communicated Death to thoſe they convers’d with,