A simple Inflammation of the Tonsils, or of other Parts about the Fauces, from its frequently happening without any considerable Hazard attending it, is commonly look'd upon as a troublesome, rather than a dangerous Disease: And every one, how little soever conversant in the Practice of Physic, thinks himself qualified to conduct the Patient thro' it with Safety.

If a Person complains of Pain in his Throat upon swallowing, with the Symptoms of a Fever, nothing is thought more expedient, or more frequently order'd, than Bleeding, Purging, and such Medicines as are daily observed to remove Inflammations in general: And in simple Inflammations this Method is warranted to be just, by Reason and Experience.

But a Disease hath of late Years appeared in this City, in many of the neighbouring Villages, and according to the best Informamation I have been able to procure, in several other Parts of this Nation; which, tho' it may be taken for a common Sore Throat, or a simple Inflammation of the Tonsils, by those who are unacquainted with it, is of a very different Nature from the common one, and requires to be treated in as different a Method: For it has been found by Experience, that those Measures, which seldom fail of answering the Prescriber's Expectation in this Case, frequently produce the most unhappy Consequences in the other, and render a Disease almost certainly fatal, which of itself is not often so, in this Country.

Some Instances of Mistakes in this respect have not long since fallen under my Observation; and there is still a Possibility of the like happening, as the same Disorder continues amongst us: It seems therefore necessary, that some Endeavours should be used to prevent them; and that such a Description of the Disease should be made public, as might enable Practitioners, who have not seen or known it, to distinguish it from that to which it bears some Resemblance; together with an Account of the Method of treating it, which hath in general been attended with Success.

There are several of the Faculty, who, I readily acknowledge, have it more in their Power to give the Public Satisfaction on this Subject, than I have, but their constant Engagements in the Duties of their Profession, will probably hinder those who are most equal to the Task, from executing it so speedily as public Utility requires: Wherefore, as some Information relative to it seems immediately wanted in several Places, the following, tho' less perfect, will perhaps in the mean time be neither unacceptable, nor wholly useless.

If any thing in these Sheets should appear, to those who may be better acquainted with the Subject to be inaccurate, or premature; if some Things of little Weight should seem too largely insisted on, whilst others of more Consequence are neglected, this Apology will, I hope, be admitted; viz. that to have delay'd the Publication of this Essay, till it had received those Advantages that further Observations might have added, would have frustrated my Design; which was, to prevent, as much as possible, the Mistakes that might happen in relation to this Disease, by speedily communicating the Remarks, which the Instances I had seen had afforded.

As this Disease appears to be the same with that which raged in Spain, Italy, and the neighbouring Countries, somewhat more than a Century ago; it may not be improper, in the first place, to give some Account of it, from such of the Authors who then wrote upon it, as have come to my Hands, previous to a Description of the same distemper, as it now appears in this Country.

'Tis said, that a similar, if not the same Disease hath long been in some of our American Colonies, and the West-India Islands, but as I have met with no Accounts of it from such as were competent Judges, it must be left to Time, and further Inquiries, to determine the Truth or Falsity of the Report.

London, Dec. 1. 1748.