Epidemics. 195 



same whether they drank much or little. Moreover, the 

 misery of restlessness and wakefulness continually oppressed 

 them. The body did not waste away so long as the disease 

 was at its height, but resisted it beyond all expectation : so 

 that they either died in most cases on the ninth or the 

 seventh day, through the internal burning, while they had 

 still some degree of strength ; or if they escaped [that stage 

 of the disorder] , then, after it had further descended into the 

 bowels, and violent ulceration was produced in them, and 

 intense diarrhoea had come on, the greater part were after- 

 wards carried off through the weakness occasioned by it. 

 For the disease, which was originally seated in the head, 

 beginning from above, passed throughout the whole body ; 

 and if any one survived its most fatal consequences, yet it 

 marked him by laying hold of his extremities ; for it settled 

 on the pudenda, and fingers, and toes, and many escaped 

 with the loss of these, while some also lost their eyes. 

 Others, again, were seized on their first recovery with forget- 

 fulness of everything alike, and did not know either them- 

 selves or their friends. 



" For the character of the disorder surpassed description ; 

 and while in other respects also it attacked every one in a 

 degree more grievous than human nature could endure, in 

 the following way especially, it proved itself to be some- 

 thing different from any of the diseases familiar to man. All 

 the birds and beasts that prey on human bodies, either did 

 not come near them, though there were many lying un- 

 buried, or died after they had tasted them. As a proof of 

 this, there was a marked disappearance of birds of this kind, 

 and they were not seen either engaged in this way, or in 

 any other ; while the dogs, from their domestic habits, more 

 clearly afforded opportunity of marking the result I have 

 mentioned. 



" The disease, then, to pass over many various points of 

 peculiarity, as it happened to be different in one case from 

 another, was in its general nature such as I have described. 

 And no other of those to which they were accustomed 

 afflicted them besides this at that time ; or whatever there 

 was, it ended in this. And [of those who were seized by it] 

 some died in neglect, others in the midst of every attention. 

 And there was no one settled remedy, so to speak, by apply- 

 ing which they were to give them relief ; for what did good 

 to one, did harm to another. And no constitution showed it- 

 self fortified against it, in point either of strength or weak- 



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