Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/106

 very little Notice of their being infected at all, till the Gangreen was ſpread thro’ their whole Body; nor could Phyſicians themſelves, know certainly how it was with them, till they opened their Breaſts, or other Parts of their Body, and ſaw the Tokens. We had at this Time a great many frightful Stories told us of Nurſes and Watchmen, who looked after the dying People, that is to ſay, hir’d Nurſes, who attended infected People, uſing them barbarouly, ſtarving them, ſmothering them, or by other wicked Means, haſtening their End, that is to ſay, murthering of them: And Watchmen being ſet to guard Houſes that were ſhut up, when there has been but one perſon left, and perhaps, that one lying ſick, that they have broke in and murthered that Body, and immediately thrown them out into the Dead-Cart! and ſo they have gone ſcarce cold to the Grave. I cannot ſay, but that ſome ſuch Murthers were committed, and I think two were ſent to Priſon for it, but died before they could be try’d; and I have heard that three others, at ſeveral Times, were excuſed for Murthers of that kind; but I muſt fay I believe nothing of its being ſo common a Crime, as ſome have ſince been pleas’d to ſay, nor did it ſeem to be ſo rational, where the People were brought ſo low as not to be able to help themſelves, for ſuch ſeldom recovered, and there was no Temptation to commit a Murder, at leaſt, none equal to the Fact where they were ſure Perſons would die in ſo ſhort a Time; and could not live.

That there were a great many Robberies and wicked Praticſes committed even in this dreadful Time I do not deny; the Power of Avarice was ſo ſtrong in ſome, that they would run any Hazard to ſteal and to plunder, and particularly in Houſes where all the Families, or Inhabitants have been dead, and carried out, they would break in at all Hazards, and without Regard to the Danger of