ATTACKS THE AGED. 159 



mouth as they lay on the ground,) about the 

 10th or 12th day, a sort of convulsive or epilep- 

 tic fit took place, and afterwards the fluid from 

 the mouth was of a bloody appearance, and more 

 viscid, so as to be discharged with great diffi- 

 culty. 



This was considered the critical period, and 

 was speedily followed by death, unless the patient 

 soon after began to rally. The great difficulty 

 and danger of this disease, (the confluent small- 

 pox,) says Huxham, chiefly comes on at the 

 state or turn of the pox ; for however easily 

 matters may have proceeded till this time, we 

 are now (viz. the 7th, 9th, or 11th day from the 

 eruption) very often surprised with a very shock- 

 ing change, and terrible symptoms. The sali- 

 vation and viscid discharge from the mouth 

 are particularly described by Sydenham, and 

 other eminent writers on this disease. 



It has been remarked, by most of the eye- 

 witnesses of this epidemic, that it proved chiefly 

 fatal to adults and old people, seldom to chil- 

 dren, and that those who had suffered from 

 it at a former period, as indicated by the 

 marks on their skin, escaped it altogether, while 

 there were few other cases of exemption. Dr. 

 Mair proceeds to give, in his report, cases in 

 which some Europeans were attacked by it. 



