136 Of the insalubrity 01? FLAT 



could poffibly exift, efpecially among thofe who had 

 been previoufly debilitated by other dilbrders. Nor is it 

 uncommon for perlbns who have recovered from inter- 

 mittents in the autumn, to have frequent recurrences of 

 the fame difeafe in the winter, merely from fitting in a 

 damp room, or other expofure to cold. 



In perfons much reduced by the difeafes of autumn, it 

 is alfo very common when attacked with the inflamma- 

 tory difeafes of winter, for the fy Item to refume its cuf~ 

 tomary habits of action, and for the fever to refemble an 

 intermittent in the time and manner of its exacerbations, 

 and remiflions, and immediately after the removal of the 

 local afFedion to become a regular intermittent. This is fo 

 •generally the cafe on the eaftern fliore of Mar)dand, that 

 the phyficians in that country feldom make much ufe of 

 the lancet in any of the difeafes which occur there, except in 

 the fpring feafon. Are we not authorifed from thefe fadts 

 to infer, that any circurriftances which occafion a certain 

 ■fl-ate of debility, and irritability in the veffels and nerves 

 on the furface of the body, and in the fenforium at the 

 fame time, are predifpofing caufes of the difeafes, we are 

 now confidering, and that when the fyftem is in this con- 

 dition by whatever caufe induced, the fudden application 

 of cold, terror, or any other fuddenly debilitating power, 

 may become the exciting or occafional caufe of febrile 

 difeafe, in an indireft manner by repelling the blood to 

 the heart, lungs and brain, and torcing them to read by 

 the flimulous of diftenfion ? 



If the difeafes of marlhy fituations were produced by 

 a fpecific matter, they could never be produced by any 

 other caufe, but as they are frequently induced in fea- 

 fons and fituations, where that luppofed fpecific matter 

 or miafma cannot poffibly exift, there is nothing more 

 clear than that they are not produced by any fuch fpe- 

 cific matter. 



The 



