A DISCOURSE ON THE PLAGUE:

BY

_RICHARD MEAD_,

Fellow of the College of Physicians, and of the Royal Society; and Physician to his MAJESTY.

The NINTH EDITION corrected and enlarged.

_LONDON_, Printed for A. MILLAR, against _Catharine-Street_, in the _Strand_:

And J. BRINDLEY in _New-Bond-Street_.

MDCCXLIV.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE _James Craggs_, Esq;

ONE OF His MAJESTY'S Principal Secretaries of State.

_SIR_,

I MOST humbly offer to You my Thoughts concerning the _Prevention of the Plague_, which I have put together by your Command. As soon as you were pleased to signify to me, in his _Majesty's_ Absence, that their Excellencies the _Lords Justices_ thought it necessary for the publick Safety, upon the Account of the _Sickness_ now in _France_, that proper Directions should be drawn up to defend our selves from such a Calamity; I most readily undertook the Task, though upon short Warning, and with little Leisure: I have therefore rather put down the _principal Heads of Caution_, than a _Set of Directions in Form_.

THE _first_, which relate to _the performing Quarantaines_, &c. You, who are perfectly versed in the History of _Europe_, will see are agreeable to what is practised in other Countries, with some new Regulations. _The next_, concerning the _suppressing Infection here_, are very different from the Methods taken in former Times among _Us_, and from what they commonly do _Abroad_: But, I persuade my self, will be found agreeable to Reason.

I MOST heartily wish, that the wise Measures, the _Government_ has already taken, and will continue to take, with Regard to the _former_ of _these_, may make the _Rules_ about the _latter_ unnecessary. However, it is fit, we should be always provided with proper _Means of Defence_ against so terrible an _Enemy_.

MAY this short _Essay_ be received as one Instance, among many others, of the Care, you always shew for Your Country; and as a Testimony of the great Esteem and Respect, with which I have the Honour to be,

_SIR_,

_Your most obedient, and Most humble Servant,_

R. MEAD.

Nov. 25. 1720.

THE CONTENTS.

The Preface, Page i

PART I.

_Of the_ PLAGUE _in General_.

CHAP I. Of the Origine and Nature of the PLAGUE, 1

CHAP II. Of the Causes which spread the PLAGUE, 41

PART II.

_Of the Methods to be taken against the_ PLAGUE.

CHAP I. Of preventing Infection from other Countries, 80

CHAP II. Of stopping the Progress of the PLAGUE, if it should enter our Country, 100

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: A Discourse on the Plague by Richard Mead
• 2: INDEED the Small Pox is a true Plague
• 3: Receive Pestilential Infection from Men
• 4: The Plague was carried from Marseilles to Canourgue
• 5: To moderate the publick Misery
• 6: If not relieved by the Publick
• 7: When the Plague in the Year 1712
• 8: Came out of the Lazaretto and went into Quarantaine
• 9: Before they left an infected House
• 10: IN the most ancient Times Plagues
• 11: That these Tumors in the Glands
• 12: So there are Carbuncles not Pestilential
• 13: That the Disease is infectious
• 14: That it began in Upper AEthiopia
• 15: They were not wasted with Plagues
• 16: IN AEthiopia those prodigious Swarms of Locusts
• 17: Both being necessary to give the Distemper full force
• 18: A less frequent Respiration sufficed
• 19: That there is another Fluid in the Body
• 20: While they were under Quarantaine
• 21: With design to withdraw themselves from the Contagion
• 22: Should favour infectious Diseases
• 23: All shall be indifferently infected
• 24: Which was the natural Crisis of this Distemper
• 25: To perform Quarantaine As to which
• 26: I see no reason why the Men should perform Quarantaine
• 27: In which Quarantaines are there performed and I find
• 28: On Account of its singular Convenience for Quarantaines
• 29: The Methods taken by the Publick
• 30: Dispose the Body to receive Contagion
• 31: A Council of Health to be established
• 32: To a Lazaretto in the Island of the Tyber
• 33: Eight Persons were seized with the Small Pox
• 34: And Soranus may yet more confirm us
• 35: Upon the Authority and Example of Hippocrates
• 36: Which Medicines by correcting the Vinegar
• 37: By Fermenting with the putrefying Humours of the Carcases
• 38: Will make the Distemper rage with augmented Force
• 39: Either instead of these Tumors
• 40: Apply a suppurative Cataplasm
• 41: IF the Tumors do not come to Suppuration
• 42: And placing it after therapeias
• 43: Hos perikatharmata tou kosmou egenethemen
• 44: 93 Notitia Ecclesiae Diniensis