C A S E.
Augustus de Blumenthal, a healthy child, five years old, on the 21st of November 1774, was inoculated with matter taken from an inoculated patient, who was loaded with the small-pox, and is greatly marked by it. On the 11th and succeeding days from the operation, the fever and eruptions regularly followed. The pustules appeared on different parts over his whole body, were more numerous than they generally are from inoculation, and maturated, dried, and fell off as they ought to do, and as well as those of his brothers and sister, who were inoculated at the same time, and treated in the same manner from the beginning of the fever, till the disease was over. He was then repeatedly purged, as is usual in such cases, and continued well for above six weeks afterwards; making no complaints till the last day of January 1775, when, while he was at dinner, he complained of being cold, yet afterwards amused himself at play with his companions, and in the evening said that his legs were very weak.
Wednesday the 1st of February, and 2d day of the illness, he arose in good humour, at noon he eat with appetite, but less so at night: during the whole day, at times, he complained more or less of weakness and uneasiness in his legs, sometimes walked about, and sometimes lay down on the sopha, and the succeeding night was restless and uneasy.
Thursday the 2d day of the month, and 3d of the disease, a physician was called, who, finding his pulse agitated, gave it as his opinion, that there was something mixed in his blood which ought not to be there, though he could not say what; and in the evening, to allay the agitation, prescribed him some powders.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the 4th, 5th, and 6th of the month, and 5th, 6th, and 7th of the illness, he shewed great lowness and dejection of spirits, had great weakness in his legs, complained of giddiness, and was embarrassed in his head; yet nevertheless, he had some, though but little, stomach to his food, and during all these three days, a slight looseness, the discharges by which were of a green colour.
Monday the 7th of the month, and 8th of the disease, a large round worm came from him, and he eat with good appetite, though the disorder so increased, that he was confined to his bed, and in the evening became delirious; for the relief of which, a blistering plaister was applied between his shoulders.
Tuesday the 8th of the month, and 9th of the disease, his pulse in the morning was thought to be better; but in the evening the disorder increased, he was again delirious, and blisters were applied to the calves of his legs. In this condition, being drowsy and watchful by turns, at uncertain and irregular times, sometimes answering questions with propriety, and at other times irrationally, he continued from Tuesday till Saturday the 12th of the month, and 13th of the disease, when in the evening, the surgeon in giving him a glyster, perceived some small red spots like flea-bites, to appear on his posteriors, but made no mention of it at that time. At midnight the physician again visited his patient, and found him excessively red and delirious, with every appearance of a violent impetus of blood to his head, and with involuntary contractions or drawings in the muscles of his arms and legs, upon which he ordered the surgeon to apply four leeches behind the ears. While they were drawing, a slight red ebullition was observed upon the neck, which after bleeding disappeared, and the child lay two hours quiet; but then the uneasiness returned, and before morning he was three times alternately affected with accessions of cold and heat, and had cramps and drawings in his arms and legs, like those before described.
Sunday the 13th of the month, and 14th of the disease, in the morning his anxiety and restlessness perfectly left him, and in the course of the day, the delirium so diminished, that about nine in the evening he was quite sensible; when the surgeon being ordered to repeat the glyster, observed that the small red spots which he had before taken notice of, without mentioning, were some of them increased in magnitude to the size of lentils.