Of The Epidemics   

and diseases into quartans took place; they were protracted, as is

wont with them, indeed, more so than usual. Quotidian, nocturnal,

and wandering fevers attacked many persons, some of whom continued

to keep up, and others were confined to bed. In most instances these

fevers were prolonged under the Pleiades and till winter. Many

persons, and more especially children, had convulsions from the

commencement; and they had fever, and the convulsions supervened

upon the fevers; in most cases they were protracted, but free from

danger, unless in those who were in a deadly state from other

complaints. Those fevers which were continual in the main, and with no

intermissions, but having exacerbations in the tertian form, there

being remissions the one day and exacerbations the next, were the most

violent of all those which occurred at that time, and the most

protracted, and occurring with the greatest pains, beginning mildly,

always on the whole increasing, and being exacerbated, and always

turning worse, having small remissions, and after an abatement

having more violent paroxysms, and growing worse, for the most part,

on the critical days. Rigors, in all cases, took place in an irregular

and uncertain manner, very rare and weak in them, but greater in all

other fevers; frequent sweats, but most seldom in them, bringing no

alleviation, but, on the contrary, doing mischief. Much cold of the

extremities in them, and these were warmed with difficulty.

Insomnolency, for the most part, especially in these fevers, and again

a disposition to coma. The bowels, in all diseases, were disordered,

and in a bad state, but worst of all in these. The urine, in most of

them, was either thin and crude, yellow, and after a time with

slight symptoms of concoction in a critical form, or having the proper

thickness, but muddy, and neither settling nor subsiding; or having

small and bad, and crude sediments; these being the worst of all.

Coughs attended these fevers, but I cannot state that any harm or good

ever resulted from the cough.

3. The most of these were protracted and troublesome, went on in a