VOL. XXVIXI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 25 



dangerous, but was soon after convinced of his mistake, the distemper seizing 

 him and his family, of which himself, his wife, and all his children died. 

 From this time the malady and number of patients daily increased, and mostly 

 in the outer parts and suburbs of the town. 



June the 26th, my daughter, of about 64- years old, began to complain of 

 an unusual head-ach. I presently gave her some bezoardic drops, with volatile 

 cephalic spirits. Four hours after she was much altered; her eyes stared, her 

 extreme parts were distended, and violent convulsions ensued, though they did 

 not continue long; but afterwards she lay as if she was paralytic, and could not 

 be made sensible. No medicines availed; so she died the third day following. 

 The same day also my wife fell dangerously ill ; but in a few days got past the 

 worst ; and though she was confined to her bed a long time, yet with the 

 assistance of other physicians, she at last happily recovered. I soon after found 

 that all the efforts I could make were too weak to resist the violent progress of 

 such a distemper : for one might daily perceive how the poison got strength, 

 and the disease harder to cure. 



Thus the distemper grew predominant, and by the end of August was spread 

 almost over the whole town. All possible care was taken to supply the numer- 

 ous poor with necessaries, both of food and physic ; to have the streets and 

 houses kept clean and neat ; the communication of the sick with the sound as 

 much as possible prevented ; and the dead soon buried ; and all this by the 

 authority and direction of persons appointed by the magistrates, called provisors 

 of health. Besides, the pest-houses were opened, and well provided with all 

 manner of necessaries, as also with overseers and servants. Many persons of 

 condition hired particular houses for their servants ; and others made up con- 

 venient apartments in their gardens, and procured servants and nurses to attend 

 them, that in case of infection they might there be taken care of. The 

 pest waggons and chairs went from early in the morning, till late at night; 

 the former to carry away the dead to be buried, the other to convey the 

 sick to the hospitals. Besides the ordinary church-yards, there were others 

 made without the walls of the town. In short, every thing was ordered with 

 wonderful convenience, and so well and carefully looked after, that without it 

 the infection would have destroyed a much larger number of people. 



In August and September the plague raged with the greatest violence, when 

 the public lost many eminent men ; but of our chief magistrates only 2, and as 

 many of the judges : of our divines about a third part died : of the physicians 

 and apothecaries none : of the surgeons in ordinary only 2; but of their assist- 

 ants or subordinates, especially such as belonged to pest-houses, a vast number. 

 The principal citizens suffered very little, but the garrison a great deal, though 



VOL. VI. E 



