The causes seemed to be uncleanliness,
gluttony, immoderate drinking, and also severe inundations
leaving decaying vegetation. Richmond's army has been considered
a factor in the germination of the seeds of pestilent disorder
which broke out soon after in the camps of Litchfield, and on the
banks of the Severn.
Sweating sickness was an inflammatory rheumatic fever, with great
disorder of the nervous system, and was characterized by a
profuse and injurious perspiration. In the English epidemic the
brain, meninges, and the nerves were affected in a peculiar
manner. The functions of the pneumogastric nerves were violently
disordered in this disease, as was shown by the oppressed
respiration and extreme anxiety, with nausea and
vomiting,--symptoms to which modern physicians attach much
importance. The stupor and profound lethargy show that there was
an injury to the brain, to which, in all probability, was added a
stagnation of black blood in the torpid veins. Probably
decomposing blood gave rise to the offensive odor of the person.
The function of the lungs was considerably impaired. The
petechial fever in Italy in 1505 was a form of the sweating
sickness. There were visitations in 1506 and in 1515 in England.
Pages:
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802