appeared in the Neighbourhood of Syracufe. 257 
trefying carcafes muft have been immenfe, and as the limits 
of the camp were not very exténfive, and they were now 
forely preffed by a vigorous enemy, incapable themfelves of 
refiftance, and fuddenly precipitated from triumph to inevit- 
able defeat and fhame, we fhal! find no difficulty in affigning 
caufes fufficient and ey for the extraordinary fatality 
of this peftilence. 
The third plague commenced at the fame time in both the 
Carthaginian and Roman camps. At firft; as in the former 
inftancé, the fick were attended to; but the number foon 
became fo great as to render this impoffible. In this cafe, 
as in the other, the dead were left unburied, and to putrefy ; 
and in this cafe, as in that, there is no reafon to doubt but 
that the caufes and fatality of the difeafes were in confe- 
quence excecdingly augmented. It may reafonably be 
doubted, however, whether’ the hiftorian is accurate in 
Werbinn any part of the fpread of the peftilence to contas 
of the fick. The belief of this doctrine has been of long 
duration and extenfive prevalence; but late obfervations do 
not feem to countenance its validity. To eftablith it, would 
inevitably annihilate a diftinétion much infifted on by the 
advocates for the importation of peftilential difeafes into the 
United States; but this argument is not wanted for that 
purpofe. It is more probable that the peftilence, in this in- 
ftance, as in that preceding, was rendered more general by 
the increafing quantity and concentration of marth effluyia ; 
by the excrementitious matters in the camps, fuffered to 
affume, unremoved, a putfefcent, action; and by noxious 
exhalations from putrefying bodies. There are ng facts 
which authorife the opinion that a fpecific matter emanates 
from any part of the body; during peftilential or any other _ 
fevers properly fo called, capable of generating a fimilar or 
a febrile difeafe. The moft that we may venture to infer 
from all the fasts known to us, is, that the perfpirable mat- 
ter, like any other animal fubftance, when feparated from 
the living body, or deprived of life, is liable, under certain 
circumftan@es of temperature and moilture, to undergo a 
putrefactive fermentation, or to go through fuch changes as 
fhall adapt it for the production of febrile difeafes; and this, 
Wot. V. EY ay as 
