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It is the result of a disposition of the blood resembling putrescence, in which there occurs an external ebullition in the efforts of nature to purify the interior of the body and to expel to the surface the virulent material within. Accordingly the common people declare that persons who have suffered from variolae et morbilli never acquire leprosy.
The premonitory symptoms of variolae are a high fever, redness of the eyes, pain in the throat and chest, cough, itching of the nose, sneezing and pricking sensations over the surface of the body. Morbilli is a mild disease, but requires protection from cold, which confines and coagulates the peccant matter.
The usual catalogue of specific remedies terminates the discussion. An interesting chapter on small-pox and measles, "De variolis et morbillis," gives us the prevailing ideas relative to these diseases in England during the thirteenth century. Premising his remarks with a classification of diseases as follows: Diseases universal and infectious like morphoea, serpigo, lepra, variolae et morbilli.
Diseases universal but not infectious. Diseases infectious but not universal like noli me tangere. Diseases neither infectious nor universal. Gilbert classifies variolae et morbilli among the universal and infectious diseases, and in the species apostemata. To this latter species belong also ignis Persicus, carbunculus and antrax.
When the eruption is light colored and tends to suppuration, it is called scora. When it is very fine and red, it is called morbilli or veterana. A third form of the disease displays only four or five large, black pustules on the whole body, and this form is the most dangerous, since it is due to an unnatural black bile, or to acute fevers, in which the humors are consumed.
Variolae et morbilli arise from moist matter confined in the body and turbid, like turbid blood. Hence the disease occurs most commonly in boys and in those who are careless about cleanliness and neglect venesection.
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