This Account does not disagree in general with that which has been left us of the Morbus strangulatorius; only he is singular in affecting it to arise from a kind of Aqua fortis discharged upon the Parts: But his favourite Study had engrossed his Attention, and to this we must impute both the present Mistake, and his Want of sufficient Accuracy and Precision, when he treats upon medical Subjects.
When it first broke out in the Countries above-mention'd, it soon engaged the Physicians of those Times, as well to observe its Nature and Effects, with whatever might contribute to its Cure, as to vindicate their respective Systems and Opinions, which some of them did with a great deal of Warmth. Out of such of the Tracts that were then published as I have had an Opportunity of perusing, and which indeed are not so many as I could wish, the following Account has been collected. I shall here mention the Authors to whom I am principally indebted for it.
Johannes Andreas Sgambatus, a Physician of Naples, who published a Treatise upon this Subject in 1620[[9]]. He gives us a methodical and pretty exact History of the Symptoms of this Disease, and the Method of Cure both general and topical, together with a summary View of the Disputes which at that time were managed with sufficient Heat and Acrimony in relation to its Name, Cause, and Nature; about which they were as much divided as they were about the Method of Cure; each Party appealing to Hippocrates, Galen, Avicenna, &c. for the Support of their Opinions concerning a Disease, which it is not certain that those whom they appeal to ever saw.
Johannes Baptista Cortesius, in his Miscellanea medica[[10]] takes notice of this Disease, and describes its principal Symptoms, in a Letter to Jo. Anton. Anguilloni, Physician in chief to the Maltese Gallies. He considers it indeed as a different Distemper from that which infested Naples, and other Parts of Italy; tho', from his own Account of it, there appears little Reason to question the Identity. He seems to have been led into this Mistake, by considering the Disease he treats of as contagious only in a certain limited Sense, whilst the Italians declared theirs to be pestilential and contagious without Restriction. He allows, that the Breath of a Person affected might convey the contagious Effluvia to another near at hand; and gives an Instance of one who got the Disease, and died of it, by trying, at his Friend's Request, who then labour'd under this Disease, if his Breath was affected[[11]]: for from this Circumstance they guessed at the Degree of Danger attending them.
In 1636, Ætius Cletus, of Signia in Italy, published his Treatise De Morbo strangulatorio[[12]]. He mentions some Facts relating to it, that had escaped Sgambatus and Cortesius, which will be taken notice of hereafter.
Marcus Aurelius Severinus, Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, and Physician to the Hospital of Incurables at Naples, wrote a Dissertation upon this Disease, under the Title of 'Pædanchone Loimodes, seu de pestilente ac præfocante Pueros Abscessu'; and annexed it to the second Edition of his Book De recondita Abscessuum Natura, which was printed
in 1643[[13]]. From a Person of his Capacity, and furnished with the best Opportunities of seeing the Disease in every Stage and Condition, we might reasonably expect such Observations as would enable one to form a just Idea of this Distemper; but we meet with very little of this kind in his Performance. He has indeed mention'd some Circumstances relating to its History, not taken notice of by the other Writers I have seen, and his Method of Cure is different from the rest; but he refers us to others for an Account of the Symptoms, and contents himself with reciting and commenting upon Aretæus's Description of the Ulcera Syriaca, which he takes for granted to be the same with the Disease he treats upon; yet does not put it in our Power to compare them, by giving a candid Relation of the Symptoms.
One might justly expect some curious Observations upon this Disease, from a Person so well qualified for it as Thomas Bartholine: He was in Italy whilst it raged there, and it might be supposed, would be attentive to the minutest Circumstance relating to it, and be inquisitive enough to know what Men of Character had said upon it. But the Treatise which he wrote upon this Disease, and publish'd in 1646[[14]], contains so little to the Purpose, that it is difficult to conceive for what End it was wrote, unless to compliment his Master Severinus, which he does very liberally.
According to the Accounts which have been left us by these Authors, it appears, that the Disease which they describe was most particularly fatal to Children; tho' Adults, if they were much conversant about the Sick, were very often seized with it; yet more of these recover'd in proportion than of Children; and it was observed, that more Boys got well through the Disease than Girls; some thought, that such of this Sex as had black Eyes suffer'd more from it than others.
As it was sometimes observ'd to carry off whole Families together, and to spread to those Places first, where the Communication with the Country affected by it was most frequent; and also that Children sent away in order to avoid it, escaped whilst they remained there, but had it on their Return, if the Disease was not extinguished; it was almost universally allow'd to be contagious[[15]].