Epidemics (1.2.10-1.2.12)

From all the diseases some died, but the greatest number from these fevers,[*] especially childrenthose just weaned, older children of eight or ten years, and those approaching puberty. These victims never suffered from the latter symptoms without the first I have described above, but often the first without the latter. The only good sign, the most striking that occurred, which saved very many of those who were in the greatest danger, was when there was a change to strangury, into which abscessions took place. The strangury, too, came mostly to patients of the ages mentioned, though it did happen to many of the others, either without their taking to bed or when they were ill. Rapid and great was the complete change that occurred in their case. For the bowels, even if they were perniciously loose, quickly recovered; their appetite for everything returned, and hereafter the fever abated. But the strangury, even in these cases, was long and painful. Their urine was copious, thick, varied, red, mixed with pus, and passed with pain. But they all survived, and I know of none of these that died.

In all dangerous cases you should be on the watch for all favourable coctions of the evacuations from all parts, or for fair and critical abscessions. Coctions signify nearness of crisis and sure recovery

Pains about the head and neck, and heaviness combined with pain, occur both without and with fever. Sufferers from phrenitis have convulsions, and eject verdigris-coloured vomit; some die very quickly. But in ardent and the other fevers, those with pain in the neck, heaviness of the temples, dimness of sight, and painless tension of the hypochondrium, bleed from the nose; those with a general heaviness of the head, cardialgia, and nausea, vomit afterwards bile and phlegm. Children for the most part in such cases suffer chiefly from the convulsions. Women have both these symptoms and pains in the womb. Older people, and those whose natural heat is failing, have paralysis or raving or blindness.