Table 3.
Key features of typhoid fever in Thucydides' description
| Features present | Features not present |
|---|---|
| Fever | Rapid onset |
| Diarrhea | Red eyes |
| Rash (rose spots) | Runny nose, sneezing |
| Red throat, hoarseness | |
| Foul breath | |
| Retching, convulsions | |
| Sensation of intense internal heat | |
| Livid red rash | |
| Sleeplessness | |
| Extremity gangrene | |
| Blisters, sores | |
| Death from intestinal perforation or hemorrhage in 2 to 3 weeks |
Adapted from Page DL. Thucydides' description of the great plague of Athens. Classic Q 1953;3:97–119.