296 Om the black color 



1. In Henry Mofs the color was firfl difcharged from 

 the {km in thofe places, on which there was moft preflure 

 from cloathing, and mod attrition from labor, as on the 

 trunk of his body, and on his fingers. The deflrudlion 

 of the black color was probably occafioned by the abforp- 

 tion of the coloring matter of the rete mucofum, or per- 

 liaps of the rete mucofum itfelf, for prefflire and fric1:ion 

 it is well known aid the abforbing action of the lymphatics 

 in every part of the body. It is from the latter caufe, 

 that the palms of the hands of negro women who fpend 

 their lives at a walhing tub, are generally as fair as the 

 palms of the hands in labouring white people. 



2. Depletion, whether by bleeding, purging, or abfti- 

 nence has been often obferved to leffen the black color in 

 negroes. The cffeds of the above remedies in curing the 

 common leprofy, fatisfy me that they might be ufed with 

 advantage in that ftate of leprofy which 1 conceive to ex- 

 ift in the fldn of the negroes. 



3. A fimilar change in the color of the negroes, though 

 of a more temporary nature, has often been obferved in 

 them from tlie influence of fear. 



4. Dr. Beddoes tells us that he has difcharged the color 

 in the black wool of a negro by infufmg it in the oxyge- 

 nated muriatic acid, and leffened it by the fame means in. 

 the hand of a negro man. The land-cloud of Africa call- 

 ed by the I'ortuguefe Ferrino Mr. Hawkins tells us has a 

 peculiar atlion upon the negroes in changing the black 

 color of their fliins to a dufky grey.* Its adion is ac- 

 companied, he fays, v^dth an itching and prickling fenfation 

 upon every part of the body which increafes with the 

 length of expofure to it fo as to be almoft intolerable. It 

 is probably air of the carbonic kind, for it uniformly ex- 

 tinguiOies fire. 



5. A 



* r. I2C. 121. 



