212 PHILOSOPHIC A.L TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I765. 



cient physicians have described those disorders. The first accurate account of 

 them was published in 1596. F. Hoffman (h) notices both forms of the 

 disease. Dr. T. describes first the spasmodic, and afterwards the gangraenous 

 form. 



In 1596 a disease, accompanied with spasms and convulsions, v/as epidemic in 

 Hesse and the neighbouring district. It was attributed to the use of spurred 

 rye by the medical faculty of Marpug, who in 15Q7 published a tract on this 

 subject in the German language, describing the symptoms, causes, and method 

 of cure. From this tract Sennertus(i) seems to have derived his information on 

 this subject. As the works of this author are so well known. Dr. T. contents 

 himself with extracting from his ample account of this disorder, the following 

 particulars : 



1. Those who were seized with epilepsy scarcely ever recovered. 



2. Those who were disordered in their intellects, remained so until the time 

 of their death. 



3. Although some lived 15 years after being attacked with this disorder; yet 

 every year, in the months of January and February, they found themselves ill. 



4. This disorder was not free from contagion; a circumstance (Dr. T. re- 

 marks,) which is not noticed by any other writer. 



According to Hoffman this disorder was very prevalent in Voigtland in 1 648, 

 \64g, and 1675. In 1702 it spread through the whole country of Friburg. 

 In 1716 it was epidemic in Saxony and Lusatia, and has been described by G. 

 V. Vedelius.(k) At the same time Goelike(l) published a treatise on this 

 disorder, referring to every author who had then written upon it, and showing 

 the variation in its symptoms, as it prevailed epidemically in different places. 



The same disorder afflicted various parts of Germany in 17 17. It appeared 

 in Silesia in 1722. Vater(m) gave an account of it. It appeared at Saboth in 

 Silesia, and at Wartenburg in Bohemia in 1736. The epidemic of Saboth is 

 described by G. H. Burghart;(n) that of Wartenburg by J. A. Serine (o) who 

 visited as many as 500 patients. The last mentioned author states that the 

 disorder began with a disagreeable titillation of the feet, as if ants had been 

 creeping up them ; this was soon followed by a violent pain of the stomach (car- 

 dialgia) ; the hands were next affected, and then the head. This titillating sen- 



(h) Patholog. Generalis, Part ii. cap. ix. sect. 16 in Scholio. 

 (i) De Febribus lib. iv. cap. xiv. De Febre Maligna cum Spasmo. 



(k) Dissertatio de Morbo Spasmodico Epidemico Maligno in Saxonia, Lusatia, vicinisque Locis 

 grassato. lenae 17 17. 



(\) A. O. Gcelike Horae Subscesivae Tom. II. 



(m) Chr. Vater Dissertatio de Morbo Spasmodico Populari Silesiaco. Witemberga 172J. 



(n) Satyrae Medicor. Silesiacor. Specim. iii. Obs. 4. 



(o) Satyrae Medicor. Siles. Specim. iv. Obs. 5. 



