[23] These Pains and Mortifications of the Feet and Toes were not confined to those who were brought low by malignant Fevers; for, during the very hard Frost in the Beginning of the Year 1763, many of the Patients who lay in very large open Wards in the Hospital at Osnabruck, were affected in the same Way. One Man had both Feet, and Part of each Leg, compleatly mortified, and died in about nine Days after the first Appearance of the Mortification. One lost half of one Foot, and some Toes of the other; and the third lost the first Joint of some of his Toes, and the Ends of others.
[24] Hippocrat. lib ii. popul. sect. iii. text. 2.
[25] Aetius Tetrab. ii. sect. i. cap. 129. Actuar. lib. i. cap. 23.
[26] See these Causes mentioned by Riverius, and since more fully explained by Dr. Pringle, Observations on the Diseases of the Army, part iii. chap. vii.
[27] River. Prax. Med. lib. xvi. sect. iii. Præfat.
[28] The Malignant or Hospital Fever, and Petechial, seemed to me to be entirely the same Disorder, and the Petechial Spots to be only a Symptom which appeared sometimes, but not always. And Riverius says, the Petechiæ do not always appear; but when they do, it is a most certain Sign of a Pestilential Fever. See his Prax. Med. cap. xvi. sect. iii.
OF THE
DYSENTERY.
The Dysentery generally began to appear soon after the Army took the Field; and became frequent about the End of July, and continued so till the Army went into Winter-Quarters; and through the Winter, many of those, who had this Disorder in Autumn, relapsed, upon returning to their Duty; or by drinking too freely of spirituous Liquors, and being irregular in their Living.
It is now generally agreed upon, that this Disorder is entirely produced by such Causes as make the Juices become too putrescent, and turn the Flow of Humours to the Bowels; and in the Camp it seemed to arise principally from an obstructed Perspiration caused by the Men’s lying in the Field, and doing the necessary Military Duties in all Sorts of Weather; at the same Time being often exposed to the putrid Steams of dead Horses, of the Privies, and of other corrupted Animal or Vegetable Substances[29], after their Juices had been highly exalted by the Heat of Summer.