246 On the late Plague at Alalia. 



taken to the bier on which he was conveyed to the pest-hospital. 

 His eyes were downcast, his countenance palHd, and there was 

 an expression of anxious tenor which sufficiently explained the 

 quality of the attack. 



Notwithstanding all that had been advanced in their favour by 

 various writers, and more especially by Messrs. Baldwin and 

 Thornton ; and in spite of the example of the oil-carriers in 

 Africa, who are represented as enjoying an immunity from plague ; 

 the frictions of warm oil had not, on the breaking out of that 

 disease at Malta, all the credit which an after experience showed 

 them to deserve. This will not appear surprising, when it is con- 

 sidered that several late medical writers have spoken with con- 

 siderable hesitation on the subject. After the numerous trials 

 made at Valletta, and elsewhere in Malta, these frictions, if pro- 

 perly applied*, may be pronounced to be an almost certain pro- 

 phylactic. It is a justice due to a very intelligent voung man, 

 IVIr. Thornton, assistant deputy paymaster to the forces, and 

 nephew to our minister of that name, to state that, with his 

 uncle's book in his hand, he was the first strenuously to recom- 

 mend their employment, at the breaking out of the contagion. 

 Among those who wrought zealously in this cause, Mr. Matthew 

 Fletcher, a British merchant, was foremost and indefatigable. 

 Whenever a case of plague came to his knowledge, he hastened 

 to the spot, beseeching the inmates of the dwelling, by whom a 

 free communication with the infected individual had been kept 

 up, to have instant recourse to the frictions, and supplying the 

 ^neans where these were deficient. The l.appy result was, that, 

 on the plague ceasing, he was possessed of a long list of the 

 cases he had recorded, in not one of which a failure was to be 

 found ; at the same time that, where this preservative was not 

 employed, it was u,sual to sec the disease spread from one indi- 

 vidual to another who herded together, until the whole were 

 swept away. A few instances of the beneficial effects of the oil 

 frictions, as tried at Valletta, will suffice, so as to banish all scep- 

 ticism on the subject. In a family consisting of seven individuals 

 and a female servant, the father and eldest son, who had both 

 been assiduous in attending the host, and had besides visited a 

 relation labouring under plague, were attacked, and died pretty 

 nearly at the same time. On the first alarm the frictions were 

 employed by the rest of the family, and all escaped, although 

 they had communicated freely with the unfortunate victims of 

 the disease. A French cutler, who had the same number of 



* Every part of tlie lioriy htn iiig been well cleansed vvitli water, or with 

 vinegar and water the frictions are applied with a sponge, as warm as they 

 can well be borne, the eyes being closed to protect them from irritation. 

 This is repeated at least twice a week, wearing the same linen between the 

 frictions. 



children, 



