When it first broke out in the Countries above-mention'd, it soon engaged the Physicians of those Times, as well to observe its Nature and Effects, with whatever might contribute to its Cure, as to vindicate their respective Systems and Opinions, which some of them did with a great deal of Warmth. Out of such of the Tracts that were then published as I have had an Opportunity of perusing, and which indeed are not so many as I could wish, the following Account has been collected. I shall here mention the Authors to whom I am principally indebted for it. _Johannes Andreas Sgambatus_, a Physician of _Naples_, who published a Treatise upon this Subject in 1620[9]. He gives us a methodical and pretty exact History of the Symptoms of this Disease, and the Method of Cure both general and topical, together with a summary View of the Disputes which at that time were managed with sufficient Heat and Acrimony in relation to its Name, Cause, and Nature; about which they were as much divided as they were about the Method of Cure; each Party appealing to _Hippocrates_, _Galen_, _Avicenna_, _&c._ for the Support of their Opinions concerning a Disease, which it is not certain that those whom they appeal to ever saw. _Johannes Baptista Cortesius_, in his _Miscellanea medica_[10] takes notice of this Disease, and describes its principal Symptoms, in a Letter to _Jo. Anton. Anguilloni_, Physician in chief to the _Maltese_ Gallies. He considers it indeed as a different Distemper from that which infested _Naples_, and other Parts of _Italy_; tho', from his own Account of it, there appears little Reason to question the Identity. He seems to have been led into this Mistake, by considering the Disease he treats of as contagious only in a certain limited Sense, whilst the _Italians_ declared theirs to be pestilential and contagious without Restriction. He allows, that the Breath of a Person affected might convey the contagious _Effluvia_ to another near at hand; and gives an Instance of one who got the Disease, and died of it, by trying, at his Friend's Request, who then labour'd under this Disease, if his Breath was affected[11]: for from this Circumstance they guessed at the Degree of Danger attending them. In 1636, _Ætius Cletus_, of _Signia_ in _Italy_, published his Treatise _De Morbo strangulatorio_[12]. He mentions some Facts relating to it, that had escaped _Sgambatus_ and _Cortesius_, which will be taken notice of hereafter. _Marcus Aurelius Severinus_, Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, and Physician to the Hospital of Incurables at _Naples_, wrote a Dissertation upon this Disease, under the Title of '_Pædanchone Loimodes, seu de pestilente ac præfocante Pueros Abscessu_'; and annexed it to the second Edition of his Book _De recondita Abscessuum Natura_, which was printed