Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, from the year 1792 to 1798Browne, William George
History
Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, from the year 1792 to 1798
Browne, William George
Egypt -- Description and travel; Sudan -- Description and travel; Syria -- Description and travel
The facts that appear chiefly to be ascertained relative to the
plague, are, 1st, That the infection is not received but by actual
contact. In this particular, it would seem less formidable than
several other disorders. 2. That it is communicated by certain
substances, by others not, as by a woollen cloth, or rope of hemp,
but not by a piece of ivory, wood, or a rope made of the date tree;
nor by any thing that has been completely immersed in water. It would
appear from the report of the Kahirines, that no animal but man is
affected with this disorder; though, it is said, a cat passing from
an infected house, has carried the contagion. 3. That persons have
often remained together in the same house, and entirely under the
same circumstances, of whom one has been attacked, and died; and
the others never felt the smallest inconvenience. 4. That a person
may be affected any number of times. 5. That it is more fatal to
the young than the old. 6. That no climate appears to be exempt
from it; yet, 7. that the extremes of heat and cold both appear
to be adverse to it. In Constantinople it is often, but far from
being always terminated by the cold of winter, and in Kahira by the
heat of summer; both circumstances being, as may be conjectured,
the effect of indisposition for absorption in the skin, unless it
be supposed that in the latter case, it may be attributed to the
change the air undergoes from the increase of the Nile.
The first symptoms are said to be thirst; 2. cephalalgia; 3. a
stiff and uneasy sensation, with redness and tumour about the eyes;
4. watering of the eyes; 5. white pustules on the tongue. The more
advanced symptoms of buboes, fœtor of the breath, &c. &c. are well
known; and I have nothing authentic to add to them. Not uncommonly,
all these have successively shewn themselves, yet the patient has
recovered; in which case, where suppuration has had place, the skin
always remains discoloured, commonly of a purple hue.—Many who
have been bleeded in an early stage of the disorder, have recovered
without any fatal symptoms; but whether from that or any other cause,
does not appear certain. The same operation is reported to have been
commonly fatal in a late stage. It is said that embrocating the buboes
continually with oil has sometimes wrought a cure; but this remedy
is so difficult and dangerous for the operator, that it would appear
experiments must yet be very defective. The natives of Kahira are too
supine to seek for any remedy, and too bigoted to avoid the danger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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