n different Subjects; for the
most part with Cold and Shivering, Pain in the Head, and other
Symptoms, commonly described as peculiar to this Fever. In some, it
begun with a sharp Pain of the Side, or other Parts, attended with
acute inflammatory Symptoms; in others, it put on the Appearance of
the common, low, or nervous Fever, for a Day or two. Blood drawn in
the Beginning from some Patients did not seem much altered; from
others it threw up a strong inflammatory Buff[1]; but where the Fever
had continued some time, it was commonly of a loose Texture, and of a
livid Colour; unless when the Sick were accidentally seized with
pleuritic Stitches, or other Disorders of this kind.

[1] Dr. _Huxham_, in his _Treatise on the ulcerous sore
Throat_, p. 36, says, "I have very often met with this buffy
or sizy Appearance of the Blood in the Beginning of Malignant
Fevers; and yet, Blood drawn two or three Days afterwards,
from the same Persons, hath been quite loose, dissolved, and
sanious as it were." And in his _Essay on Fevers_, chap.
viii. p. 108. says, "The first Blood frequently appears
florid; what is drawn twenty four Hours after, is commonly
livid, black, and too thin; a third quantity, livid,
dissolved, and sanious. I have sometimes observed the Crasis
of the Blood so broke as to deposite a black Powder, like
Soot, at the Bottom, the superior Part being either a livid
Gore, or a dark green, and exceedingly soft Jelly."

The Reason of this Difference of Symptoms in the Beginning, and of
these different Appearances of the Blood, seemed to be, that such
Patients as laboured under Pleurisies, low or other Fevers, being
brought into Hospitals where the Malignant Fever was frequent, had
their original Disorders changed into this Fever by breathing a foul
infected Air, and by their Communication with those ill of the Fever,
and of Fluxes; at other Times, a mere Acrimony of the Blood, set in
Motion by a supervening Fever, determined the Disorder to be of this
kind: and I always observed, that those Men were most apt to catch
this Fever, whose Constitutions had been broke down by previous
Disorders.

The Fever appeared in different Forms. Some had only a Quickness of
the Pulse, attended with a slight Head-ach and Sickness, Whiteness of
the Tongue and Thirst, and a Lowness and Languor; which continued for
a Week or more, and then went off, either insensibly, or with a
profu