This Year raged at Numigen the Cholera Morbus, and killed many within four Days ; but moſt of them who ſought Help at firſt recovered. When they had vomited enough they took Marmalade of Quince with Aromatics, if the Fever run not high ; but where it did, they left out the laſt, and gave the firſt Morning and Night, and half an Hour before Meat for three Days, and forbid the Sick all Drink except a very little, though their Thirſt was great ; for drinking encreaſed the Evacuations, and theſe brought Death. To the ſtrongly convulſed Parts they uſed a warm Fomentation of Oyl of Cammomil, and to the Stomach and Belly, EmbrocationS of Oyl of Nard, Maſtick, and Quinces ; then ſtrowed over all, Powders of Aſtringents and Aromatics ; then gave Opiates, with Abſorbents, and Reſtringents ; but firſt of all they gave Rhubarb, and to Children Clyſters. Reverius. --- Some Years preceeding this, on the lower Rhine, had been exceſsive wet and rainy, and cauſed moſt ſhocking Deſolation by a great Mortality. The Winter before, had very often been ſeen at Night, ſundry arid terrible Lights and fiery Meteors in the Air, ſometimes ſtanding ſtill, othertimes darting forth their Streamers ſuddenly : They continued all Summer, and the Beginning of next Winter, &c. Beſides frequent Abortions, fearful Torments from Worms, often arthritic Pains, and depraved Motions of the Joints, appeared the Meaſles and Smallpox, as the Forerunners of a very fatal Epidemic ; which, with incredible Cruelty, in a manner depopulated Cities, Towns, and Countries ; witneſs Conſtantinople, Alexandria, Lyons, Dantzick, London, Auſburgh, Vienna, Cologn, and all the upper Rhine even to Baſil, but milder on the lower Rhine ; all riſen from the great and univerſal Rains and Moiſture, cauſing acute and chronic Defluxions. In the Winter of 1564, came outward glandular Swellings of the Neck, but void of Danger. In the Spring began and laſted moſt of the Summer, frequent dangerous Quinſies, of ſudden Termination ; which for its Rage, Danger, and ſhort Continuance, was little ſhort of a Plague, continuing but one, two, three, or four Days ; if the Sick outlived the ſeventh or eighth, they recovered. They began moſtly at the new Moon, with a Fever and Vomiting, from the ſmalleſt encreaſed bodily Exerciſe, as walking in the Heat of the Sun, or from too great Heat of the Fire ; then came inſtantly a Swelling of the Tongue, with Loſs of Speech ; the Gullet itſelf was cloſely ſhut up, that Drink could not paſs : Theſe Symptoms killed the Sick, than which no Death could be more cruel. There was no viſible Swelling on the Neck, only in ſome an Appearance of an Eriſepylas. But the Defluxion of the virulent Humour fell inwards, which often produced a Frenzy, frequently leaving the Jaws it fell on the Side ; hence a Pleuriſy, every jot as fatal as the Quinſey. Sometimes it was tranſferred to the Lungs, and terminated in a Peripneumony. Other times leaving the whole Thorax, it ſhifted to the Spine of the Back, and cauſed intolerable Pains, eſpecially in menſtruous Women ; but it was equally mortal in all Shapes and Forms. This Quinſey was leſs dangerous to Youth than grown up People, and they recovered ſooner, eſpecially if the laſt did not keep their Bed. In this peſtilential Epidemic (which in many Places was a true Plague, and at other Places, as at Crete, Raguſa, Venice, &c. it was a ſpotted Fever) bleeding and purging did much more Miſchief than Good ; only bleeding Youth under the Tongue, and dry cupping to the Neck and Shoulders, gently repellent and ſtrengthning Medicines, and Alexipharmics topically uſed with great Diſcretion, were beneficial. When Winter came, there were above two Months of the greateſt Froſt, and ſevereſt Cold felt by any living ; and near the End very much Snow, which put an End to the laſt fatal, malignant, contagious Epidemic. The Cold remitted for ſix or ſeven Days without a Thaw, then was the Air filled with Fog and Vapours, which being neither diſsolved nor diſcuſsed, but rather condenſed by the Night’s Cold, rendred the Air thick and moiſt ; hence ſprung another new, real, and no leſs inflammatory Diſeaſe : The Sick were firſt ſeized with a continual Fever of a bad Kind, they felt an obtuſe and pricking Pain in their Side, then were they tormented with a Shortneſs of Breath ; then the fixt Pain of the Side which game at firſt, ſhifted, and ſlowly moved over the whole Breaſt, eſpecially if any Anodyne was given ; next, with a ſudden Jerk it moves again, and falls on the Lungs, which being over-loaded and over-flooded by a ſudden impetuous Flux of Humours, the ſpitting became bloody, and mixt with divers Colours, which the more plentiful it was, and eaſily expectorated, ſo much greater Danger, ſuch generally dying the ſixth Day. Some had no ſpitting of Blood ; if ſuch got over the ninth Day, they generally recovered, except they relapſed, then they died before the three Weeks End. Such as had a Looſeneſs, or Delirium, died. All had a Cough and Hoarſneſs. The Cure, conſiſted in immediate and large Bleeding, and freely uſing Subacids ; as Syrup of Wood Sorrel, Sorrel in Carduus or Scabious Waters : Then gave Decoctions of Pectorals and Bitters mixt, as Scordium, Baum, Carduus Beuedictus, Scabious, Sorrel, &c. and added Sugar with a little Vinegar. Purging was hurtful, but if indicated, they gave laxative Clyſters, or Rhubarb infuſed, with ſolutive Syrup of Roſes. Nor were the peſtilential Pills wholly uſeleſs, being both alexipharmic and diaphoretic. Such as went out of Doors an Hour or two after Sunſet, were ſooneſt and moſt dangerouſly taken. Such as went abroad in the middle of the Day, during theſe ſeven Days Fog, were in leſs Danger. Fires of Oakwood in Rooms were very ſerviceable, and the beſt. Preventative. Wierus. Dodoneus. Schenkius. &c. &c.