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716 VON TROIL’S LETTERS ON ICELAND.
what is proper to be done gradually to remove this deftructive difeafe. But I will re-
ferve for another occafion, whatever relates to this difeafe in Sweden.
About a hundred years ago plagues and peftilential fevers raged in Europe, as may be
feen in the accounts of feveral phyficians of the epidemical fevers which prevailed at
certain times. But at prefent, when a better police has procured us more cleanlinefs
in the f{treets and narrow lanes ;_and more neatnefs is obferved in our apparel and ha-
bitations ; as alfo fince beer prepared with hops, wines, and other liquors are drank,
which are very falutary, though they produce other difeafes when made ufe of in excels ;.
fince fruits and vegetables, tea and fugar, are become fafhionable ; thefe and fimilar
diforders are greatly diminifhed. Sir John Pringle proves the truth of thefe remarks,
accompanied with feveral examples, particularly with refpect to the difeafes of England,
in his Obfervations of the Difeafes of an Army.
It is very probable that the elephantiafis, and many other great diforders in the fkin,
quitted the fouthern countries from fimilar caufes; and have on the contrary main-
tained themfelves towards the north, where a fufficient quantity of bread cannot be
provided for the natives, and where the lower fort of people, who live entirely by fifh-
ing, do not eat any vegetable food, but only feed upon rancid oily victuals ; and are
befides unable to keep themfelves clean and neat, being continually expofed to wet and
cold on the fea-fhore, &c.
I fhould repeat the obfervations which have been made upon this difeafe in Iceland,
as they might perhaps ferve to make our countrymen better acquainted with the dif-
order itfelf, and the manner of curing it. But you, Sir, might perhaps tell me, that
this isa more proper fubje€t for a phyfical book than for letters concerning Iceland ;
for which reafon I will be as concife as poffible.
Mr. Anthony Rob. Martin has given fo exact an account of this difeafe, that I need
not here enumerate its fymptoms. Whoever compares it with Mr. Peterfen’s little dif-
fertation, will become perfeétly acquainted with the elephantiafis, its beginning, pro-
grefs, and greateft height ; and will readily allow, that the Icelandic name of /i#traa is
given it with great propriety, which fignifies, that thofe who are infected with this dif-
eafe in its higheft degree, refemble a putrefying corpfe more than a living man.
The elephantiafis is either inherited from the father or mother, who are afflicted with
it, or it is not inherited. In the firft cafe, the difeafe frequently appears before the
child is two years old, and always before the age of twenty-five, fo that fuch perfons
{eldom live to fee thirty years. The fooner the difeafe makes its appearance, the fooner
the patient becomes aprey to death. But thofe who have not inherited the elephan-
tiafis, but have brought it upon themfelves, by their mode of living and other caufes,
may drag on a wretched exiltence during twelve or fourteen years, and fometimes
longer. The elephantiafis is of the fame nature in the South.
Before this difeafe breaks out on any perfon, his breath is difagreeable and ftinking
for three, and fometimes fix years preceding : he has a great appetite to eat four, half
rotten, and unwholefome food ; is always thirfty, and drinks very much: fome are floth-
ful and fleepy, and when afleep are with difficulty awakened; are fhort-breathed when
the complaint afcends upwards; they fpit very much, and complain of wearinefs in
theirknees. They fhiver violently when they come out of a cold room into the oper
air; the eyes and lips become of a brown and blue colour: they have a weak {mell :
with fome the feeling is likewife numbed; others have weak fight ; and fome lofe it en-
tirely, when their foreheads begin to fwell in the beginning of the difeafe. ‘They have
frequently thin hair, particularly on the eye-brows; the beard likewife grows very thin
- f on
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