The Sun.
London, England, 1821-11-15 00:00:00

THE BARCELONA FEVER.

M. FRANCOIS, a member of the French com-
mission sent to Barcelona, has written a letter,
dated Oct. 30, to M. Berth), a physician in Paris,
from which we extract the following particulars
relative to the disease :—" The contagion ap-
pears to spew itself visibly. Its point of depar-
ture is marked, its progress followed ; it may be
said that it is seen passing from one individual to
another. Those who devote their cares to friend-
ship rarely fail to pay dear for their humanity.
In a house inhabited by fourteen persons, all
have been attacked, -and eleven have died. The
progress of the disease is often so rapid that there
is not time to try any remedy. The patient dies
as soon as he is taken ill. In general, however, the
sickness lasts seven or nine days. It would require
manypages to describe this terrible fever,it presents
so many anomalies and deceptions appearances.
Sometimes the access is slight, and a deceitful
appearance
.of convalescence gives confidence to
the attendants at the moment when the patient
is expiring. At• other times the most terrible
symptoms manifest themselves at once, such, as
petechial spots, echymoses, and jaundice. Blood
issues from all apertures of the body. Fetid
and diluted blood flows copiously from the
tongue. The usual evacuations are black and
sanious. What is vomited may after dilution in
water be compared to the oxyde of manganese.
The body is cold as marble, and the pulse insen-
sible. Involuntary cries are put forth, though
the patient, is in perfect possession of his mind,
and so continues until the heart ceases to per-
form its functions. When the vital energy sinks,
it cannot he again revived ; the benumbing
poison of the contagion destroys it. The body of
the patient then exhales miasmata, not percep-
tible to the senses, which attaches it to bedding,
clothes, furniture, and even the walls of the
apartments (as, from numerous facts, there is
reason to believe), which then become capable
of infecting individuals, more or less promptly
according to their predisposition. The disease
appears to have its seat i❑ the nervous system.
It successively paralyzes the different viscera.
The kidneys cease their functions first. The
body, which may be called a corpse still animated,
exhibits all the symptoms of decomposition. Some
patients, after exhibiting all the signs of com-
plete dissolution, have by degrees returned to
life, and have been cured. It requires courage,
I assure you, and the most perfect self-resig-
nation, to approach and touch certain patients.
The stomach appears to be the most constant point
of attack. It is, subject to a kind of irritation
which is quite sui generis. Its state must not be
confounded with a phlegmasia, though gangre-
nous parts are often found in its interior. There
is no inflammatory appearance in the yellow
fever. After the convulsive spasms which mark
the commencement, atomy soon takes place, and
the extinction of life follows. At this moment
the intensity of the disease appears to have abat-
ed, but still from one to two hundred die daily.
Scarcely a week ago the number was from two to
three hundred."