334 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



formed no one animal, nor even the egg from 

 which it iffued. We find in the dunghills of our 

 great towns, where {o many fubflances ferment, 



organic 



" which was fwollen prodigioufly ; but towards evening the 

 *« whole hand had become inflamed up to the wrift ; and next 

 *' day, which was Tuefday, the arm had fwelled up to the elbow, 

 " fo that he was reduced to the neceflity of difclofing the cafe 

 *' to his father. Profeffional men were immediately called in, 

 *' who had the arm tightly bandaged, above the fwelling, and 

 " applied every remedy which art and experience could fuggefl 

 *' as a counter-poifon. After all, notwithflanding, it nearly 

 *' cofl the patient his life ; and he recovered not without fufFering 

 *• intolerable pain, after having been for four months fo en- 

 ** feebled, as to be incapable of holding the pen." 



From this anecdote it may be concluded, how dangerous the 

 putrid emanations from our church-yards muft be to the inhabi- 

 tants of cities. Parifli Churches in which fo many corpfes are 

 interred, become impregnated with an air fo corrupted, efpe- 

 cially m Spring, when the ground begins to grow warm, that I 

 confider this as one of the chief fources of the fmall-pox, and of 

 the putrid fevers which are prevalent at that feafon. An un- 

 favoury fmell then ifTuesfrom it which makes the flomach rife. I 

 have felt this to an infufferable degree in fome of the principal 

 Churches of Paris. This fmell is extremely different from that 

 produced by a croud of living people, for we are affefted with 

 no fuch fenfation in the Churches of Convents, where few only 

 are interred. 



It would be a curious fubjeél of enquiry to Anatomifts, Why 

 the putrefaftion of dead bodies lliould deftroy the animal eco- 

 nomy of moil beings, while it makes no derangement in that of 

 carnivorous animals. Many fpecies of infefts and fiflies live on 

 carrion. I remark that the greateft part of thefe have no blood, 



which 



