between the commencement of the new year
and the month of June following; but some
of these perished by famine. The same
symptoms shewed themselves, in this
disorder, in the human race, as among
the cattle. The feet, thighs, hips, arms,
throat, and head, were most dreadfully
swelled, especially about the ankles, the
knees, and the various joints, which last
as well as the ribs, were contracted. The
sinews, too, were drawn up, with painful
cramps, so that the wretched sufferers
became crooked, and had an appearance
the most pitiable. In addition to this,
they were oppressed with pains across the
breast and loins; their teeth became loose,
and were covered with the swollen gums,
which at length mortified, and fell off in
large pieces of a black or sometimes dark
blue color. Disgusting sores were formed
in the palate and throat, and not uncommonly
at the extremity of the disease, the
tongue rotted entirely out of the mouth.
This, dreadful, though, apparently, not very
infectious, distemper, prevailed in almost
every farm in the vicinity of the fire during
the winter and spring; but, happily,
its extreme horrors were confined to the
district of West Skaptefield, beyond which
it was attended with less melancholy consequences.
Many of the unfortunate inhabitants,
who resided in the vicinity of the
place of eruption, and who could not procure
either medicine or assistance, were
starved to death ; from an utter incapability
of swallowing during the prevalence of
the disorder any portion of food, even if
they could obtain it, which was not often
the case. On the farm of Nupstad, in the
Fliotshverfet, which was the only one of
all that remained inhabited, till the spring
of 1784, the distemper attacked every individual
among the inhabitants, not leaving
a single person in health to assist and
comfort the sick with the necessary at-
tendance. Report goes even so far as to
state, that several persons had been lying
dead in their houses for a considerable
time, before any intelligence of their decease
could reach Siden, the nearest station; and
that the information was at length conveyed
by some travellers from the east country,
who accidently stopped at Nupstad, and there
VOL II. R