CHAPTER VIII
TRUE PESTIFEROUS FEVERS

Pestiferous fevers, properly so called, agree in some respects
with the above—mentioned lenticular fevers, and in other respects
differ from them. '"They agree, in that they have a certain char—
acteristic in common, namely they are all contagious and infect
by the same means. But they differ in this respect, that the
contagion of pestilent fevers is far quicker to act and is suscep—
tible (invades) very quickly; moreover it leaves fomes behind,
and can also infect at a distance; again, it is fatal to all or the
majority of those whom it overtakes. Its other accidents (devel—
opments) are also more violent, for the patient loses his strength
very quickly and completely, and far more serious internal dis—
turbanece is felt.  Some of these fevers in the early stages cause
very high fever, internally, but the rest, and in fact the former
also at a little later stage, have that appearance of mildness
which is characteristic of this whole class of fevers. Usually
the infected are attacked by insomnia, in some cases alternat—
ing with deep sleep.  The pulse behaves just as in lenticular fe—
vers, that is, it is slower and lower than the malady seems to
justify. The urine is turbid, or white, or even like that of
healthy persons. 'The evacuations are corrupt, liquid, and
have an offensive smell. In some cases buboes or parotitis
(tumors near the ears) or other abscesses appear. Either no
spots or very few are to be seen, which, considered apart, is
surprising, because the substance of these fevers is peculiarly
volatile. TTheir behavior varies in certain ways. Some of
them attack us from without, especially from the air; and when
this is corrupted and transmits the germs to us direet, it is the
most wretched misfortune that can happen to mortal men.
But it very seldom happens that the plague infects us from the
corruption of the air. Again, some of these fevers do indeed
have their origin in that source, namely the air, but they do not
receive the germs from it direct, but it is either vapors or cer—

113