The symptoms of the plague, as enumerated by Avicenna, are as follows: Heat, and strong inflammation within, but which are not perceived outwardly; respiration large, fetid, and frequent; intense thirst, dryness of the tongue, with nausea and loss of appetite, such as, if not contended against, will prove fatal; enlarged spleen, great anxiety and restlessness, dry cough, prostration of the powers approaching to syncope; delirium, retraction of the hypochondria, insomnolency, with tepid heat of the body. Sometimes there are yellow, whitish, or red eruptions on the skin, which are of short continuance; or else aphthæ and ulcers in the mouth. The pulse is generally frequent, small, and becomes stronger towards night. Occasionally there are dropsical swellings. The discharges from the bowels are bilious, mixed, fetid, unnatural, and sometimes contain black bile; at other times they are frothy and fetid, or unctuous, being produced by melting of the fat. The urine is watery, bilious, and melancholic. There is sometimes vomiting of black, but more frequently of yellow bile. There are often fetid sweats. The disease usually terminates with syncope, coldness of the extremities, lethargy, spasms, and convulsions. Some of the most fatal varieties of the plague are not marked by any striking symptoms, neither the heat, pulse, nor urine being much affected. Fetid breath, as indicating putrefaction about the heart, is a most mortal symptom. The treatment must commence with venesection, if there be a plethora of blood, or with purging, if the body be loaded with other humours. The apartments of the sick are to be cooled, and the air of them corrected: they are to be cooled by cold odoriferous fruits, camphor, rose-water, or, if possible, by introducing a stream of water into them. The fetid air may be corrected by fumigations with camphor, myrtles, quinces, ebony, &c.; by sprinkling the apartments with vinegar and assafœtida, and correcting the putridity with lignum aloes, frankincense, musk, storax, _sandarach_, mastich, juniper, bays, and the like. (It may be proper to mention that arsenical fumigations are approved of by Muratori, Lind, and Russel, but condemned by Mead.) As a preservative from the plague, he recommends, in particular, exercise and restricted diet. Haly evidently copies his description. (Theor. v, 11.)