A Succinct

ACCOUNT

of the

PLAGUE

at

MARSEILLES,

Its Symptoms, and the Methods and
Medicines used for Curing it.

DRAWN UP

And presented to the Governor and Magistrates
of Marseilles, by M. Chicoyneau, Verney
and Soullier, the Physicians who were sent
thither from Paris by the Duke Regent of
France, to prescribe to the Sick in the Hospitals,
and other Parts of that Town, during
the Progress of that Calamity.

Translated from the French by a Physician.

LONDON:

Printed for S. Buckley in Amen-Corner, and
D. Midwinter at the Three Crowns in St. Paul’s
Church-Yard. M.dcc.xxi.

(Price Sixpence.)

he following Relation having been sent to us by Messieurs Chicoyneau, Verney and Soullier, deputed by the Court for the Relief of our City afflicted with the Plague: We Charles Claude de Andrault de Langeron, Knight and Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Chief Commander of the King’s Galleys, Field Marshal, and Marshal of his Majesty’s Armies, Commandant in the City of Marseilles, and the Territories thereof.

Alphonsus de Fortia Marquis de Pilles, Governing Magistrate, and John-Baptiste Estelle, John Baptiste Audimar, John-Peter Moustier, and Balthazar Dieudé, Sheriffs, Protectors and Defenders of the Privileges, Franchises and Liberties of this City, Counsellors of the King, and Lieutenants General of the Police, have thought fit to cause it to be printed; for having been Eye-witnesses of the Zeal with which these Gentlemen have exposed themselves for the Service and Relief of our Sick, as well in the City as in the Hospitals, we are thoroughly persuaded that their Observations on the Nature of this fatal Malady, and on the Remedies proper to its Cure, cannot but be very useful to the Inhabitants of divers Places of this Province that are unfortunately infected.

At Marseilles this 26 Nov. 1720.

A Short

RELATION

of the

SYMPTOMS

of the

PLAGUE

at

MARSEILLES,

Its Prognosticks and Method of Cure.

o give some Satisfaction to the just Expectations of very many Persons, as well of this Realm as of foreign Countries, who fearing the dismal Effects of the Contagion, have done us the Honour to request of us some Account of the Nature of the Distemper that has depopulated Marseilles, and of the Success of such Remedies as we have employed against it; we have thought fit to draw up the following Relation, containing in short what is most essential in this Affair, and which may be sufficient to intelligent Persons of the Faculty, to direct their Conduct, and help them in framing a Judgment in the like Case, till we have better Means and a more convenient Leisure to present to the Publick more exact Particulars of all that we have observed on this Subject.

All the Diseased that we have seen or attended, in this terrible Distemper, commonly called the Plague, may be reduced to five principal Classes; which will take in generally all the Cases that we have observed, except a few particular ones, which cannot be brought under any general Rule.

First Class.

The First Class, observed especially in the first Period, and in the greatest Fury of the Distemper, contains such as were afflicted with the Symptoms that we shall here set down, constantly followed by a speedy Death.

These Symptoms were for the most part irregular Shiverings, the Pulse low, soft, slow, quick, unequal, concentrated; a Heaviness in the Head so considerable, that the sick Person could scarce support it, appearing to be seized with a Stupidity and Confusion, like that of a drunken Person; the Sight fixed, dull, wandering, expressing Fearfulness and Despair; the Voice slow, interrupted, complaining; the Tongue almost always white, towards the end dry, reddish, black, rough; the Face pale, Lead-coloured, languishing, cadaverous; a frequent Sickness at the Stomach; mortal Inquietudes; a general sinking and Faintness; Distraction of the Mind; dosing, an Inclination to vomit, Vomiting, &c.

The Persons thus seized, perished commonly in the Space of some Hours, of a Night, of a Day, or of two or three at farthest, as by Faintness or Extinction; sometimes, but more rarely, in convulsive Motions, and a Sort of Trembling; no Eruption, Tumour or Spot appearing without.

It is easy to judge by these Accidents, that the Sick of this kind were not in a Condition to bear Bleeding; and even such, on whom it was tried, died a little while after.

Emeticks and Catharticks were equally here useless, and often hurtful, in exhausting the Patient’s Strength, by their fatal over-working.

The Cordials and Sudorificks were the only Remedies to which we had recourse, which nevertheless could be of no Service, or at the most prolong the last Moments but for a few Hours.

Second Class.

The second Class of the Diseased that we attended during the Course of this fatal Sickness, contains such as at first had the Shiverings, as the preceding, and the same sort of Stupidity, and heavy Pain in the Head; but the Shiverings were followed by a Pulse quick, open, and bold, which nevertheless was lost upon pressing the Artery ever so little. These Sick felt inwardly a burning Heat, whilst the Heat without was moderate and temperate; the Thirst was great and inextinguishable; the Tongue white, or of an obscure red; the Voice hasty, stammering, impetuous; the Eyes reddish, fixed, sparkling; the Colour of the Face was of a red sufficiently