bly from a _Turkish_
Infection. If at least some of these Returns were not owing to the
Remains of former Attacks, a suitable Constitution of Air returning to
put the latent Seeds in Action before they were quite destroyed. It is
the more probable that this Disease was owing to _imported Contagion_;
because we are assured, that this Form of the Sickness was not peculiar
to our Island, but that it made great Destruction with the same Symptoms
in _Germany_, and other Countries[65].

I call this Distemper a _Plague_ with lessened Force: because though its
carrying off thousands for want of right Management was a Proof of its
Malignity, which indeed in one respect exceeded that of the common
_Plague_ itself (for few, who were destroyed with it, survived the
Seizure above one Natural Day) yet its going off safely with _profuse
Sweats_ in twenty four Hours, when due care was taken to promote that
Evacuation, shewed it to be what a learned and wise Historian calls it,
_rather a Surprize to Nature, than obstinate_ to _Remedies_; who
assigns this Reason for expressing himself thus, that _if the Patient
was kept warm with temperate Cordials, he commonly recovered_[66]. And,
what I think yet more remarkable, _Sweating_, which was the natural
_Crisis_ of this Distemper, has been found by great Physicians the best
Remedy against the common _Plague_: by which means, when timely used,
that Distemper may sometimes be carried off without any external
_Tumors_. Nay besides, a judicious Observer informs us, that in many of
his Patients, when he had broken the Violence of the Distemper by such
an artificial _Sweat_, a natural _Sweat_ not excited by Medicines would
break forth exceedingly refreshing[67].

AND I cannot but take notice, as a Confirmation of what I have been
advancing, that we had here the same kind of Fever in the Year 1713,
about the Month of _September_, which was called the _Dunkirk Fever_, as
being brought by our Soldiers from that Place. This probably had its
Original from the _Plague_, which a few Years before broke out at
_Dantzick_, and continued some time among the Cities of the _North_.
With us this Fever began only with a Pain in the Head, and went off in
large _Sweats_ usually after a Day's Confinement: but at _Dunkirk_ it
was attended with the additional Symptoms of _Vomiting_, _Diarrhoea_,
&c.

TO return from this Digression: From all that has been said, it appears,
I think, very plainly, that the _Plague_ is