Transactions of the Epidemiological Society of London, Vol. 13: Session 1893-94 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Transactions of the Epidemiological Society of London, Vol. 13: Session 1893-94 In the treatment, the great thing is to avoid cold; no external applications which might drive the eruption back are to be used. Medicines are suitable at first to expel the morbid matter; but if the fever increases after the eruption these are to be avoided, especially if the tongue is rough and black. Ventesectiou may be employed at first, but not after the fourth day. When the eruption has appeared, wait for its maturation and restoration to health. The pustules are sometimes opened with a golden needle, otherwise they are left to nature, and dry up. Ulcers sometimes occur after variola. There are certain parts which must be especially guarded from harm, viz., the eyes, eyebrows, nose, lungs, intestines, and threat. The eyes are sometimes ulcerated and the sight destroyed. The nose may become ulcerated, and also the (esophagus, so that swallowing may become impossible. The affection of the lungs leads to dyspnma, and sometimes to phthisis. Ulcers of the intes tines cause violent diarrhcea, sometimes intractable and even fatal. Various local remedies are suggested for these complications. The treatment of lung affections is said to be very difficult. Children should have their arms tied to prevent them from scratching. Old women in the country g.ve burnt 14417mra'in drink, for it has an occult power of curing variola. Similarly cloth dyed with grain (crimson). This account is chiefly taken from Avicenna (c'anonis, Liber iv, Fen. Prima, tractatus quartus), and perhaps partly from the works of Razes, but not from the work of the latter now called De Vuriolis et M orbill is, which could not have been known to Gilbert. It is noticeable that Gilbert omits some of the early signs of variola mentioned by Avicenna, such as pain in the back, headache, and mental disturbance. There is no hint in either author of personal contagion. It is evident that parts of the description would apply to measles, scarlatina, small-pox, and perhaps chicken pox, but it does not give a clear picture of any one of these diseases. How far, therefore, they were actually known to Gilbert I will not now attempt to decide. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.