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gives t!iera a Title to every thing that may be for their pur- ple, wherever they find it ; and if they rob, they don't do it any otherwife, than as the Bee does, for the publick Ser- vice. Their Occupation is not pillaging, but collefting Con- tributions ; and if you ask them their Authority, they'll pro- duce you the Praftice of their Predeceffors of' ail Ages and Nations. See Dictionary.
PLAGUE, Pestis, Pest it. enc e, a very atute, deftruftive, malignant, and contagious Difeafe ; ufually pro- ving mortal. See Disease.
The Plague is commonly defined by a malignant Fever ; but Diemerbroek thinks the two ought to be diftinguifhed ; the Fever not being the EfTence, but only a Symptom, or Effeft, of the Plague. See Fever.
The Plague is reckoned by Dr. Lifter, and many others, as an Exotic Difeafe, never bred or propagated in England, but always imported from abroad, and particularly from the Levant, the Coafts of Afia the leflfcr, Egypt, &c. where it is familiar. Sydenham obferves, that it rarely infefts Eng- land oftener than once in 40 Years ; but, thro' the Mercy of Go d, 'tis now 60 Years fince we have been vifited.
The Origin, and Caufe of the Plague has been a celebrated
Subject, of Controverfy among Phyficians The Diforder is
generally fuppofed to be communicated by the Air ; but how, and in what manner the Air becomes thus deadly, is the Queftion. Some will have Infects the Caufe of Plagues is ot Blights ; which being brought in Swarms from other Parts by the Winds, are taken into the Lungs in Respiration, mix with the Blood and Juices, and attack and corrode the Vifcera. See Blight.
Mr. Boyle attributes it principally to the Effluvia or Exha- lations breathed into the Atmofphere, from noxious Mine- rals. See Exhalation, &c.
The Air, in effect, is depraved in fir more Places than improved, by being impregnated with fubterraneous Expira- tions.— Indeed among the Minerals known to us, Caere are many more noxious than wholelbme; and the Power of the former to do Mifchief, is more efficacious than of the Litter to do good, as we guefs by the fmall Benefit Men receive in point of Health, by the Effluvia of any Mineral or other known Foffil, in comparifon of the great and Midden Da- mage often done by the Expirations of Orpiment; Sanda- rack, and white Arfenic. See Poison.
Amongft the various forts of Particles wherewith the At- mofphere is replete, fome may be fo fmall, and folid,or fo con- veniently fhaped, as to enter many of the numerous Orifices of the minute Glandules of the Skin, Or at other Pores thereof. Thus, tho' neither Paper, nor Bladder, be pervious to the Elaftic Parts of the Air-, yet may either of them be eafily penetrated by other Corpufcles of the Atmofphere; and Mr. Boyle has prepared a dry Body, which being inclofed in either, would, without wetting or difcolouring or any ways (enfibly alter- ing them, pafs in a trice thro' the Pores thereof, in l'uch Plenty, as to exert a manifeft Operation on Bodies placed at fbme Diftance beyond them.
This is confirmed from the fudden Check almoft every Summer given to the Plague at Grand Cairo; for fince mor- bific Caufes operate more effectually than curative ones, it feems more than probable, that Exhalations attending from under Ground, may produce peftilential Fevers, and the Plague itfelf-, fince the Corpufcles which impreg- nate the Egyptian Air upon the fwelling of the Nile, put a I'peedy ftop not only to the Contagion, but to the Malignity of the Plague, aflifted even by the Summer's Heat, which there is exceffive. See Inundation.
'Tis poffible there may be noxious Minerals in a Country, that are not often able to produce Peftilences; they may be in Strata, or Beds, fo deep, that even a fmall Earth- quake (hall not affeft them, tho' a more violent Shock may. See Strata, Earthquake, &c.
And hence may we account for the Plague's raging in fome Parts of Africa once in thirty, or once in a hundred Years ; fince there may be periodical Paroxyfms, or grand and vehement Commotions in fubterraneal Parts, tho' not yet obferved in them.
Tis probable peculiar kinds of venomous Exhalations may fometimes be emitted, efpecially after Earthquakes ; and thus occafion mortal Difeafes in Animals of one kind and not of another, and in this or that Place, and not elfe- where Fcrnelius gives us an Account of a Plague, or Mur- rain, in 1 5 14, which invaded none but Cats. Dionyfius Ha- hcarnaffeus mentions a Plague which attacked none but Maids : And that which raged in the Time of Centilis killed fcarce any Women, and very few but lufty Men. Eoterus men- tions another Plague, which affaulted none but the younger fort; and we have Inftances of the fame kind of a later Handing. Cardan fpeaks of a Plague at Bafil, with which the Satturs, and not the Italians, Germans, or French were infefted ; and 7»ib. Vtenhovius takes notice of a cruel Plague at Copenhagen, which, tho' it raged among the Danes, fpared the Germans, Dutch, and Englifii, who went with all Free- dom, and without the leaft. Danger, to the Houfes of the infefted,
The Plague, according to Sydenham, ufinllv begins with a Chillinels, and Ihivering, like the Accefs of an intermitting Fever; then comes onaNaufea, with vehement Vomiting an intenfe Pain about the Region of the Heart, as if pinch'd in a Prefs, and a burning Fever, which continually preys on the Patient, 'till either Death, or the Eruption of fonie Bubo, Parotis, or other Tumor, in the Inguina or Axilla:, or behind the Ears, relieve him, and difcharge the Matter of the Difeafe. Sometimes, indeed, it attacks with- out any Fever ; purple Spots appearing all at once, the cer- tain Signs of prefent Death; but this rarely happens except at the beginning of fome tetribie Plague, It has alfo been known to make its firft Appearance in Tumors, without a'- ny Fever, or other violent Symptom.
Heavinefs, Pain in the Stomach Head and Back, Car- dialgy, broken Sleep, Anxiety, Alteration in the Look, Difficulty of breathing, Hiccough, Syncope, Delirium, con- vulfive Twitchings, Diarrhxa, Eyes funk or inflamed, Tongue black and dry; vehement Drought, fetid Breathj Carbuncles, Spots livid purple green, &c. are alfo Sym- ptoms ufually attending this Difeafe.
A great deal depends on the Circumftances of the Tumors, or Plague Sores : as they appear, and increafe, the Fever a- bates ; and as they fink, or diminifh, renews again. When they happen about the Time of the Crifis, and fuppurate kindly, they are good Prognofticks of a happy Recovery. See Crisis.
In Acute Difeafes, fays Hippocrates, Prognofticks are ever fallacious. However, in the terrible Plague at Nimeguen, Diemerbroek, who attended the Sick through the whole Pro- grels thereof, relates, That thofe taken ill about New and Full Moon rarely efcaped; that Faiutings, Swoonings, and Palpitations of the Heart, were ufually deadly Signs; an in- termitting Pulfe always mortal ; Drowfinels, Sneezings, tremulous Motions, Doting, fore Throat, &c. were ill 6- niens: Pleurifies, always mortal; Coftivenefs a good Sign; a Diarrhxa almoft constantly fatal : Bloody Stools or Urines always prefaged ill.
As to the Cure, Phyficians are much divided. It is gene- rally attempted with Alexipharmachicks and Cardiacs, with the Affilbance either of Sudorifics, or Phlebotomy, or both.
Many eminent Phyficians, both ancient and modern,
highly commend Blood-letting; Sydenham, particularly; fays, that if ufed copioufly, and in time, it never yet did harm ; but that Sudorifics often prove pernicious : Diemerbroek, on the contrary, with other very experienced Writers, proteft againft Phlebotomy as very dangerous; and often deadly ; The chief Hopes they build in Diaphoretics and Sudorifics ; Emetics and Purgatives are abfolutely forbid : and yet Dr. Sayer ufed the former with good Succefs, in the Beginning of the Difeafe in the Plague at London, Ann. 1640. See A« lexipharmic, ore.
The Juice of Lemons is commended as of fingular Effi- cacy in the Plague, and peftilential Fevers. Pifo relates that it is the principal Remedy of the Indians, and protefts he never knew any thing come up to it. Dr. Harris obferves that the fame is what the Turks have principally Recourfe
to.. Camphor is alio much extoll'd. This, Etmuller af-
fures us, was the Bafis of Heinfius's Antipeftilential Oil. who had a Statue erefted to him when dead, in the City of Ve- rona, for the Service he had done hereby. — Tt was prepared of equal Quantities of Camphor, Citron Bark, and Amber. — The Viperine Salt and Rob of Elder-Berries are alio com- mended.
For Prefervatives againft this Difeafe, they are ufually fumm'd up in the popular Diflich ;
H&c tria labificam tollunt abverbia pejlem, Max, longe, tarde, cede, recede, redi.
Cauteries, and efpecially Iflbes, and Setons in the Inguina, are found of great Service in preferring from Infection. A Piece of Myrrh held in the Mouth in contagious Places, is alio commended. But Diemerbroek alfares, that there is no- thing better in this Intention, than fmoaking Tobacco ; but he adds, that it was only fo to fuch as had not made the Practice familiar to them. The other Prefervatives ufed by that great Author, were the Sad. Helenii, Cardomums'; White-Wine Vinegar, and Chearfulnefs ; and when he found his Spirits low, as if the Difeafe were taking Pouef- fion, a Cup of generous Wine, fometimes to a Degree of Drunkennefs.
P L a g u e I Vatc r, Aqua Epidemica, is one of the Com- pound Waters of the Shops. See Water.
PLAIN, an Epithet applied to various Things, gene- rally importing them to be fmootb, even, level, or Super- ficial, or jimple, or obvious, or the like.
In this Senfe the Words ftand oppofed to rough, J~olid,in- bour'd, enrich' d, &c.
It is a Maxim in Heraldry, that the plainer the Coat the nearer to Antiquity.. — .Plain Coats are fuch as are leaft en- cumber/d. See Coat, &e.
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