An Account of the Sore Throat Attended With Ulcers: A Disease Which Hath of Late Years Appeared in This City, and in Several Parts of the NationFothergill, John
History
An Account of the Sore Throat Attended With Ulcers: A Disease Which Hath of Late Years Appeared in This City, and in Several Parts of the Nation
Fothergill, John
Diphtheria
Under these Disadvantages, she was seized with this Distemper, a Day or
two after she had visited an Acquaintance labouring under the same
Disorder: It came on with a Coldness and Trembling like that of an
Ague-Fit, great Faintness, and an acute Pain in her Head, with a
Vomiting more violent than she was usually affected with, and a Purging.
Towards Evening she grew very hot and restless, complained of a Soreness
in her Throat, and the Discharges abated. Her Face, Neck, and Hands were
intensely red; she frequently sigh'd, and from her Aspect and Gestures
there was Reason to suspect a Delirium approaching. She slept little
that Night; and next Morning her Pulse, which before was very quick and
small, seemed to be somewhat more full, but not sensibly slower; and she
complained of Faintness and Anxiety. The Parts about the _Fauces_ were
much relax'd, and very red, in some Places almost livid, with a kind of
glossy Dryness upon them. She continued in this Manner without any
remarkable Increase of Symptoms till Night, when the Looseness return'd,
and in a very short time exhausted her Strength to a great Degree: The
Redness upon the Skin disappeared, the Extremities grew cold, her Eyes
became dim, her Pulse scarce perceptible, she breath'd with Difficulty,
and expired in the Morning, on the third Day of the Disease.
Another young Woman, who frequently visited, and sometimes assisted a
Relation, who had this Disease, was attack'd with it in the usual
manner. She was about 17, of a pale and somewhat bloated lax Habit,
naturally inactive, averse to Exercise, and was thought to have indulged
some painful Solicitude, to the Prejudice of her Health, and making way
for an obstinate _Chlorosis_.
Under these Circumstances she was seized with the usual Complaints, but
in a violent manner. The Purging continued till the Day following; when
it yielded for the present to Opiates, but constantly return'd when
their Effects were over. The other Symptoms, such as Heat, Restlessness,
Anxiety, and Faintness, increased with the Purging; the Pulse was small,
quick, and hard; a Difficulty of breathing came on, the small Remains of
Lustre in the Eye perish'd, and she died early on the fourth Day of the
Distemper.
No Marks of any Sloughs in the Throat appeared in either of these Cases;
but the Redness became daily more intense, and approached nearer to
Lividness, whilst the _Fauces_ could be inspected; which, from the great
Difficulty they had in breathing, was impracticable several Hours before
the Patients expired.
Warm aromatic Cordials, and anodyne Astringents, were administred
assiduously, with suitable Nourishment, and Vesicatories applied
successively to the Neck on each Side, the Shoulders and Arms, but
without Effect.
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