CURIOUS DISEASES
VANISHED FROM WORLD
Curious diseases, which no longer exist, once plagued suffering humanity, says the "San Francisco Chronicle." Among such maladies was tarantism, which claimed thousands of victims during the Middle Ages. It was believed by many to result from the bite of a spider. A few hours after the bite "the patient is seized with great difficulty of breathing, a heavy anguish of heart, a prodigious sadness, his voice is sorrowful and querulous, his eyes disturbed." Often after the violent symptoms were over the patients were affected with a peculiar kind of melancholy, which continued until "by dancing or singing or change of air those violent impressions are quite extricated from the blood and the fluid of the nerves."
What this strange condition was no one even today seems quite certain.
Another disease which, according to the "Journal of the American Medical Association," is now not recognised, at least by the same name, is the petechial fever of Italy. Those who were affected with this condition "lay upon their backs with an oppressed brain, blunted senses, delirious, with bloodshot eyes." Between the fourth and the seventh day of (Ins illness, purple spots like flea bites broke out.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 120, 17 November 1936, Page 10
Word Count
200CURIOUS DISEASES Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 120, 17 November 1936, Page 10
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