Sect. XXXIII. 2. 7. OF SENSATION. . pt 



tain time ; for if the body was capable of receiving the difeafe a 

 fecond time, the patient mud perpetually infect himfelf by the 

 very matter, which he has himfelf produced, and is lodged about 

 him ; and hence he could never become free from the difeafc. 

 Something fimilar to this is ken in the fecondary fever oi the 

 confluent fmall-pox ; there is a great abforption of variolous 

 matter, a very minute part of which would give the genuine 

 fmall-pox to another perfon ; but here it only Simulates the 

 fyftem into common fever ; like that which common pus, or 

 any other acrid material might cccafion. 



7. In the pulmonary confumption, where common matter is 

 daily abforbed, an irritative fever only, without new inflam- 

 mation, is generally produced ; which is terminated like other 

 irritative fevers by fweats or loofe (tools. Hence it does not 

 appear, that this abforbed matter always acts as a contagious ma- 

 terial producing freih inflammation or new abfceffes. Though 

 there is reafon to believe, that the firft time any common matter 

 is abforbed, it has this effect, but not the fecond time, like the 

 variolous matter above mentioned. 



This accounts for the opinion, that the pulmonary confump- 

 tion is fometimes infectious, which opinion was held by the an- 

 cients, and continues in Italy at prefent -, and I have myfelf ken 

 three or four instances, where a hufband and wife, who have 

 flept together, and have thus much received each other's breath* 

 who have infected each other, and both died in confequence of 

 the original taint of only one of them. This alfo accounts for 

 the abfcelfes in various parts of the body, that are fometimes 

 produced after the inoculated fmall-pox is terminated ; for thi* 

 fecond abforption of variolous matter acts like common matter T 

 and produces only irritative fever in thofe children, whofe conlti- 

 tutions have already experienced the abforption of common mat- 

 ter •, and inflammation with a tendency to produce new abfeeffes 

 in thole, whofe conftitutions have not experienced the abforp- 

 tions of common matter. 



It is probable, that more certain proofs might have been found 

 to (hew, that common matter is infectious the firft time it i 

 abforbed, tending to produce fimilar abfeeffes, but not the fec- 

 ond time of its abforption, if this fubject had been attended fa. 



8. Thefe contagious difeafes are very numerous, as t 

 plague, fmall-pox, chicken pox, mealies, fcarlet-fever, ne- 

 gus, catarrh, chin-cough, venereal difeafe, itch, trichoma, tinea- 

 The infectious material does not feem to be diffolved by the ai.r r 

 but only mixed with it perhaps in fine powder, which foon fubr 

 fides ; fince many of thefe contagions can only be received by 

 actual contact \ and others of them only at fmall diftances fro 



