. Notwithstanding the plague, the 
remittent fever, the dysentery, and 
the scurvy, have so decreased, that 
their very name is almost unknown 
in London; yet there has, I know 
nor how, ‘2risen a prejudice con- 
cerning putrid diseases, which 
scems to have made people more 
and more apprehensive of them, 
as the danger has. been grow- 
ing less. It must in greatwnea- 
sure be attributed to this, that 
the consumption of Peruvian bark 
in this country has, within the 
Jast fifty. years, increased from 
14,000 to above 190,090 pounds 
annually. And the same cause 
has probably contributed, from a 
mistaken mode of reasoning, to 
Prepossess people with the idea of 
the whoiesomeness of a hard frost. 
But it has in another place * been 
very ably demonstrated that a long 
frost is eventually productive of 
the worst putrid fevers that are at 
this time known in London; and 
that heat does in faét prove a real 
preventive against that disease. 
And although this may be said to 
be a yery remote effect of the cold, 
it is not therefore the less real in 
its influence vpon the mortality of 
London. Accordingly a compari- 
son of the numbers in the tore- 
going table will shew that very 
neatly twice as many persons died 
of fevers in January 1795, as did 
in the corresponding month of this 
year. I might go on to observe 
that.the true scuryy was last year 
generated in the metropolis trom 
|. the same causes extended to an 
unusual Jength. But these are by 
no means the only ways, nor in- 
deed do they seem to be the prin- 
‘cipal ways, in which a frost ope- 
fates;to the destruction of great 
wumbers of people. The poor, as 
da 
MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. 
[475 
they are worse protected from’ the 
weather, so are they of course the 
greatest sufferers by its inclemency, 
But every physician in London, 
and every apothecary, -can add 
his testimony, that their business 
among all ranks of people never 
fails to increase, and to decrease 
with the frost. For if there be any 
whose lungs are tender, any whose 
constitution has been impaired ei. 
ther by age, or by intemperance, 
or by disease, he will be very la- 
ble to have all his compiaints in. 
creased, and all his infirmities ag. 
gravated by such ascason. Nor 
imust the young and attive think 
themselves quite secure, or fancy 
their health will be confirmed by 
imprudently exposing themselves. 
The stoutest man may meet with 
impediments to his recovery from 
accidents otherwise inconsiderabie ; 
or may contract inflammations, or 
coughs, and lay the foundation of 
the severest ills, In a country 
where the prevailing complaints 
among all orders of pecple are 
coids, coughs, consumptions, and 
rheumatisms, no prudent man, can 
surely suppose that unnecessary ex. 
posure to un inclement sky; that 
priding oneself upon going without 
any additional clothing in the se. 
verest winter; that inuring onc. 
self to be hardy at a time that 
demands our cherishing the firm. 
est constitution lest it suffer; that 
braving. the winds, and chalieng. 
ing the rudest efforts of the sea. 
son, can ever be generally useful 
to Englishmen. But if generally, 
and upon the whole, it be inexpe. 
dient, then ought every one for 
himself to take care that he be not 
the sufferer. For many doétrines 
very importantly erroneous ; ma- 
ny .remedies either vain, or even 
* Obseryations on the jail fever by Dr. Hunter, Med. Trans, Vol. II. 
noxious, 
