CHAPTER V
THE EPHEMERAL PESTILENT FEVER IN BRITAIN'S

In the island Britain, which is now called England, there is
a kind of pestilent and contagious fever, which apparently
must be classed among ephemeral fevers, because, in a single
day, it either kills its victim or lets him escape. Moreover, it
is not only contagious from one person to another; it also roves
from one town to another, and has been observed to travel not
only through the island of Britain, which is almost the only
place where it ever appears, but also to her neighbor, Belgium.
Hence we must suppose that it comes into being chiefly from
some taint in the air. Why then does it arise especially on that
island?  In general, the cause is the analogy'* of the air there,
but it is certainly hard to decide in what, in particular, that
analogy consists. However, some people say that it is due to
the kind of soil there, which is for the most part gypseous, and
they claim that that is why the island was formerly called Al—
bion. Under certain conditions of humidity; vapors arise from
that soil, very volatile, but corrupt, and they bring with them
a subtile contagion which has analogy either with the spirits
or with the fine foam that floats on the surface of the blood.
Be the cause what it may, it is agreed that that contagion has
an analogy with the subtile element of the blood. For this
reason, in a single day, either the sickness or the sick person
comes to an end. Nearly always the malady ends with sweat,
and hence the inhabitants call it also 'sweating fever!. More—
over, they employ no special remedies for it, but only wait for
the sweat; for almost all who sweat recover. But those in
whom the sweat is hindered nearly always die. 'They there—
fore take the utmost care and precautions against hindering
the sweat, for this happens very easily if the patient merely
changes his position and posture in bed. Hence the doctors
give orders that for one whole day the patient shall not change
his position. 'Those who are able to endure this discomfort

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