VOL. L.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 77 



numbers, in proportion as the disease becomes more inveterate. 3. Among the 

 whites the disease shows itself at the beginning by spots of a livid violet colour, 

 without pain; which are followed by little watery bladders, particularly on the 

 legs, which burst, and leave small ulcers with pale edges, and different in their 

 natures from the common ulcers. 4. In proportion as the disease increased, the 

 hands and feet grew larger, without any signs of inflammation; since neither 

 redness, nor pain, nor any cedematous appearance accompanied it; but it was 

 the very flesh, that increased in bulk. And this growth of the hands and feet 

 was not attended with any sharp pain, but only a kind of numbness. 5. This 

 bloated state of the hands and feet was succeeded by white deep ulcers under the 

 skin, which became callous and insensible; and which emitted only a clear serous 

 matter like water, and were but little painful. Afterwards the ends of the fingers 

 became dry, the nails became scaly, and as it were eaten away; the ends of the 

 fingers dropped off"; then the joints separated without pain, and the wounds cica- 

 trised of themselves, without the least need of medicines. In the increase of 

 the distemper, hardnesses and lumps were formed in the flesh, the colour became 

 tarnished, the nose swelled, and the nostrils grew wide, at last the nose softened 

 like paste, the voice became hoarse, the eyes round and brilliant, the forehead 

 covered with tetters and lumps, as well as the face; the eyebrows became very 

 large, the countenance was horrible, the breath fcetid, the lips swelled, large 

 tubercles were formed under the tongue ; the ears grew thick and red, and hung 

 down; and such was the insensibility of all the parts, that pins were run through 

 the hands of several, without their feeling any thing of it. In short, he was 

 assured, that these people perished by degrees, falling into a mortification; and 

 the limbs dropped off*of themselves, without much pain, such persons continuing 

 still to perform well their natural functions. 6. These leprous people lived thus 

 easy, as it were, for several years, even 15 or 20; for the disease begins insen- 

 sibly, and shows itself but very slowly. 7- Antivenereal remedies, which were 

 ordered for almost every patient, were of no service; if they sometimes palliated 

 some symptoms, they very often hastened the progress of the disease: besides 

 they never found the parts of generation at all infected, nor any thing that 

 looked like the pox about them. 8. Some of these people had indeed particular 

 symptoms. In some the hair fell off; which was replaced by a finer kind: in 

 others, worms were found in their ulcers: want of sleep, or frightful dreams, 

 afflicted some, while others quite lost their voice, or it became effeminate like 

 that of eunuchs ; and others stunk extremely. 9. Almost all of them, being 

 desirous of concealing their disorders, endeavoured to deceive the commissioners, 

 by alleging false excuses for the causes of their sores and ulcers : the greater part 

 of them pretended that the rats had eaten off" their toes, and that burns had 

 caused their ulcers. . 10. The commissioners were confirmed in their opinions 



