Procefs for deflroying Contagion. 91 
fumigation ; and all the foul linen removed from them was 
immediately immerfed in a tub of cold water, afterwards 
earried on deck, rinfed out, and hung up till nearly dry, 
and then fumigated before it was taken to the wafh-houfe : 
a precaution extremely neceflary in every cafe of infectious 
diforder. Due attention was alfo paid to cleanlinefs and 
ventilation. 
It took about three hours to fumigate the fhip. In about 
an hour after, the vapour having entirely fubfided, the ports 
and feuttles were thrown open for the admiffion of frefh air. 
It could be plainly perceived, that the air of the hofpital 
was greatly fweetened even by this firft fumigation. The 
procefs was repeated again next morning; and the people 
employed, being now better acquainted with it, were more 
expert, and finifhed the whole in about an hour’s time. In 
an hour afterwards, the vapour having entirely fubfided, the 
frefh air was freely admitted into the hofpital as before. 
Fewer pipkins were employed for the evening fumigations 
than for thofe of the mornings, as the frefh air could not be 
admitted fo freely after the former as the latter. 
The pleafing and immediate effect of the fumigation in 
deftroying the offenfive and difagreeable fmell, arifing from 
fo many fick crowded together, was now very perceptible, 
even to the nurfes and attendants; the confequence of 
which was, that they began to place fome degree of confi- 
dence in its efficacy, and approached the cradles of the in- 
fected with lefs dread of being attacked with the diforder: fo 
that the fick were better attended, and the duty of the hof- 
pital was more regularly and more cheerfully performed. 
In fhort, a pleafing gleam of hope feemed now to caft its 
cheering influence over that general defpandency, which. 
was before evidently pictured in every countenance, from the 
dread and horror each individual naturally entertained of 
being, perhaps, the next victim to the malignant powers of 
a virulent contagion, 
Jt is a remarkable faGt, that from the 26th of November 
F 4 1795, 
