ed; 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.

To 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;