Page:A Treatise upon the Small-Pox.pdf/82

54 present Ease, but to her greater Danger afterwards. This is so pernicious a Practice in the first Stage of this great Distemper, that all Men should be made acquainted with it; and here it is certain, that the cold Method is infinitely to be preferred before the hot, for here to prescribe Orvietans, Sir Walter Rawleigh's Confection, generous Treacles, and Cordial Powders, is to employ Oyl to quench an Inflammation, and for composing Strife, and Sedition begun in the Blood; to send in auxiliary Incendiaries, which will succour and animate the licentious and ungovernable Parts, and thereby propagate the Disorder and Confusion, intended to be controlled and appealed. And this Method of letting Blood very early, even after some Pustules begin to appear, is the more justifiable, if we reflect, that when one bleeding before the Eruption has not relieved the Patient, but afterwards, the Heat of the Fever is very exorbitant, and the Pulse continue to run swift and high, a second has been experienced to be beneficial and successful; but this does by no Means warrant the Physician to order his Patient to be let Blood at the height, or about the Conclusion of the Disease, upon Pretence of reducing the Fever: For in the first Case, that is, in the first Stage of the Distemper, Nature is strong and spiritful; and therefore not able only to bear Evacuations, and particularly bleeding, but does likewise require it for her necessary Service, to