Loimologia: Or, an Historical Account of the Plague in London in 1665: With Precautionary Directions Against the Like ContagionHodges, Nathaniel
History
Loimologia: Or, an Historical Account of the Plague in London in 1665: With Precautionary Directions Against the Like Contagion
Hodges, Nathaniel
Plague -- England -- London -- Early works to 1800
THIS Assertion might be supported by a Multitude of Instances, if it were
not for taking up too much of the Reader’s Time; for which Reason we shall
only take Notice, that amongst all those Distempers which are thus
inclined to join their Forces with this most powerful Enemy, some seem to
have a more particular Fitness for such a Union, from a common Affinity
in the Nature of their Infection, and the Energy of their Poison.
ONE of the First of this Class is the venereal Disease, with which the
pestilential Venom does in a very familiar Manner unite it self. At the
first breaking out indeed of the last Sickness it was given out by common
Fame, that those who were previously infected with any foul Distemper, as
the Pox in particular, would be secured thereby against the pestilential
Taint; but wicked and impious was the Consequence of such a Suggestion;
for many were hereby encouraged to seek the most lascivious and filthy
Prostitutions, on purpose to be secur’d by one previous Infection against
another: But besides the poisonous Quality peculiar to this nasty Disease,
besides that Expence of Spirit in the procuring it, and besides a lost
Force of the Constitution thereby, the greatest Aggravation to this
Misfortune was, that the very Taint which was to defend against another,
had it in its Nature to be more forcibly attracted by it; so that the rash
Adventurer was soon brought to a bitter Repentance for his Experiment, by
sinking immediately under the pestilential Contagion at its first Stroke;
and it was common to find, by a very easy Transition, the venereal Buboes
changed into pestilential Carbuncles, except in a few Instances where
Nature found out an uncommon Artifice against these united Powers, by
endeavouring an Ejectment of their joint Malignities by Salivation,
whereby sometimes the Patient was brought into some Chance for his Life,
both the Poisons being in a great Measure cast off together that way.
BUT here it may not be improper to admonish the young Physicians not to be
too forward Imitators of Nature in such a Circumstance; unless they will
run the same Hazard with a certain Empirick, who crouded his Powders upon
the Sick that raised an untimely spitting, and brought a great many into a
dangerous Condition, which by a regular Practice might have been, tho’
with Difficulty, saved.
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