An Account of the Varioloid Epidemic, Which Has Lately Prevailed in Edinburgh and Other Parts of Scotland; In a Letter (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1820 Excerpt: ...the Hamiltons, living in the room adjoining, were affected. The eruption has continued, you will perceive, to come out from the 24th August up to the present date, (18th September, ) and has been sometimes vesicular, and sometimes pustular, in its origin. Papula? have preceded the vesicles and pustules; and the vesicles which have become pustules, as well as the pustules themselves, have been surrounded by inflammatory circles, and have passed into the state of scabs. Whether fresh pustules may yet appear, and how long the scabs may remain, baffle conjecture. I do not know what opinion Mr. Bryce and Dr. Abercrombie may be disposed to entertain of the nature of the eruption in this child; but to me it appears to have afforded, in its progress hitherto, an example of small-pox occurring in a very irregular form. The varioloid disease has continued to exist, and has attacked children whom I have seen in eight different families in that part of the Canongate, lying between St. Mary's Wynd and New Street, where three of the deaths occurred that were formerly mentioned. You will perceive, by the histories of the following cases, that the same diversities have occurred in the appearances of the epidemic in the different individuals lately attacked by it, which I have described as occuring in other parts of Edinburgh, and which are supposed to countenance the opinion of their having proceeded from two contagions instead of one. Catherine Blaikie, aetat. 14 months, vaccinated.--On Thursday, the 17th of June, was seized with symptoms of fever, which continued till Sunday, the 20th, when a papular eruption came out, chiefly confined to the region of the sacrum, where the papulae were close set. There were likewise a few papulae perceptible on the forehead, and some sca..