DISEASES GLASS IL i. 3. 10; 



become hereditary. Which incapacity of receiving a lecon'd 

 time the {"mall-pox may be explained from the general law of an- 

 imation, that ftimuli greater than natural lofe their effect by 

 habit, or from their being too violently or too frequently applied. 

 As the cow-pox is faid to be fo favourable to infants, great 

 benefit might accrue to mankind by their early inoculation, 

 -which might in time exterminate the fmall-pox. This might 

 be perhaps effected by eftablifhing a difpenfary in towns, and 

 even villages, and allowing a premium of a few (hillings to eve- 

 ry one of the poor who mould be thus inoculated, as well as their 

 daily fuitenance for eight or ten days, that their arms might be 

 infpedted by a furgeon, to afcertain that they underwent the 

 genuine difeafe. 



10. Rubeola irritata, morbilli. The meafles commence with 

 fneezing, red eyes, dry hoarfe cough, and are attended with fen- 

 fitive irritated fever. On the fourth day, or a little later, fmall 

 thick eruptions appear, fcarcely eminent above the .fkin, and, af- 

 ter three days, changing into very fmall branny fcales. 



As the contagious material of the fmall-pcrx may be fuppofed 

 to be diffufed in the air like a fine dry powder, and mixing with 

 the faliva in the mouth to infect the toniils in its paffage to the 

 ftomach ; fo the contagious material of the meafles may be fuppo- 

 fed to be more completely diflblved in the air, and thus to impart 

 its poifon to the membrane of the noftrils, which covers the fenfe 

 of imell ; whence a catarrh with fneezing ufhers in the fever ; 

 the termination of the nafal duel: of the lachrymal fac is fubject 

 to the fame flimulus and inflammation, and affects by fympathy 

 the lachrymal glands, occafioning a great flow of tears. See 

 Sect. XVI. 8. And the rednefs of the eye and eyelids is pro- 

 duced in confequence of the tears being in fo great quantity, 

 that the faline part of them is not entirely Teabforbed. See 

 Sea. XXIV. 2. 8. 



The contagion of the meafles, if it be taken a fufficient time 

 before inoculation, fo that the eruption may commence before 

 the variolous fever comes on, ftops the progrefs of the fmall-pox 

 in the inoculated wound, and delays it till the meafle-fever has 

 finifhed its career. See Sedt. XXXIII. 2. 9. 



The meafles are ufually attended with inflammatory fever 

 with ftrong pulfe, and bear the lancet in every ftage of the dif- 

 eafe. In the early periods of it, venefection renders the fever 

 and cough lefs ; and, if any fymptoms of peripneumony occur, 

 is repeatedly neceffary ; and at the decline of the difeafe, if a 

 cough be left after the eruption has ceafed, and the fubfequent 

 branny fcales are falling of, venefection mould be immediately 

 uied j which prevents the danger of confumption. At this time 



alfo 



