HISTORT of the SOCIETT. 35 



DURING the whole night, a rumbling noife was heard in the 

 Iky, now and then interrupted by a momentary paufe. There 

 were no obfervations made, either with the thermometer or 

 barometer; but the wind was remarkably cold. Dr BLANE 

 was informed by Dr WARNER of Antigua, that, during ano- 

 ther hurricane which happened at that ifland, the barometer, 

 near the level of the fea, fell to 27/3-. It is known, that, in the 

 Weft Indies, the barometer (lands, with little variation, fome- 

 where between 29 and 30. 



THE influence of the hurricane on peoples health was very 

 remarkable. Inftead of producing ficknefs, it feemed to have 

 the very oppofite efFecl. There was lefs ficknefs after, than 

 there had been before it ; and moft of thofe who were fick at 

 the time of it were benefited by it, except the very old and de- 

 licate, who fuffered, either from mechanical violence, or the 

 fubfequent want of flicker. It had a vifible good eflfecT: on the 

 difeafes of the climate, fevers and fluxes. Chronic diarrhoeas, 

 the confequence of dyfenteries, were alfo cured by it. But the 

 difeafes on which it operated moft vifibly and fenfibly were 

 pulmonic complaints. Some recent cafes of phthifis, and even 

 the acute ftate of pleurify, were cured by it. Nay, in the more 

 advanced and incurable ftate of phthifis, the hec~Uc fever was, 

 in a great meafure, removed, and a temporary alleviation at 

 leaft procured. Dr BLANE mentioned particularly the cafe of 

 a lady of his acquaintance, who was ill of a pleurify at the 

 time of the hurricane, and pafled more than ten hours in the 

 open air, fitting generally in a plafh of water from the rain that 

 fell ; flie had no more of her complaint, nor any return of it ; 

 and Dr BLANE faw her a few weeks after in better looks and in 

 a better general ftate of health than flie had enjoyed for a 

 great while before. It was a general obfervation, that people 

 had remarkably keen appetites for fome days after the hurri- 

 cane ; and many people, who ufed to be thin and fallow, Dr 

 BLANE faw looking frefh and plump a few weeks after it, 



(E 2) though 



