the Validity of the Doctrine of Contagion in the Plague. 429 

 hensions at that time. And about five years since we had very 

 strong fogs here in London for about 14 days, so that we could 

 not see a^oss the street. At that time -Mr Green had a letter 

 from Mr. Morier, consul general, dated, he thniks, in February ; 

 in which he stated, that the plague that had begun to be very 

 prevalent had all on a sudden entirely ceased ; and that he could 

 not account for it, unless it had been occasioned by the exf^aor- 

 dinary continuance of dense heavy fogs ; but that it ceased. When 

 Mr G received the letter, it occurred to him to inquire as to 

 the* state of Smyrna. At Smyrna it is expected to cease about 

 the month of July, and generally does cease during the great heat. 

 Inquired of a captain of a ship that had been many years m the 

 trade, whether during the great heat at Smyrna, in the month 

 of July, there was any appearance of dew. He stated Certainly; 

 and upon asking his-reason for giving so direct and immediate 

 an answer, he slid he was certain of the fact, because during the 

 hot weather the crew slept on the deck ; but that in the month 

 of July, when the sun became powerful, it occasioned such a 

 heavy fall of dew, they were obliged to go below to sleep; it^would 

 have wet them through. Does not feel competent to decide why 

 the dew has that effect. Alwavs understood from the Armenians 

 and other natives of Constantinople, that exposing clothes ot 

 infected persons in the night to the dew, would more effectually 

 render them innoxious than putting them a week in the sun 

 Durino- the six years he was at Constantinople the plague would 

 cease, some months at a time ; and it had not prevailed for two 

 or three years when he first got there. Arrivecl in 17/4, and to 

 the best of his recollection the first instance of plague was the 

 beginning of 1778. From 1774 to 1778 there was no plague 

 in Constantinople; at Smyrna they have been without the plague 

 for tjiree or four years. ' After the Quarantine Act was passed 

 in 1 800, that is the first Quarantine Act, for the first Report 

 made was in ISOO, (the quarantine permitting ships to come ron^ 

 Turkey with clean bills of health was in 1800) Mr. G. predicted 

 that we should not have any further foul bills ot health, and for 

 this reason. The bills of health are determined by the foreign con- 

 suls at Smyrna, upon the report of a number of Greek merchants 

 who form I committee for the purpose. These merchants car- 

 ried on principallv the trade between Smyrna and Holland, that 

 is, several were concerned ; it was their interest to establish foul 

 bills of health, in order to keep the trade to themselves; because 

 English ships could not come to England without going first to 

 Malta or Lei-horn, or some other lazaretto in the Mediterranean, 

 to perform quarantine of ninety days. In the "'^«" time the 

 Greeks loaded cotton wool and other goods, and all the articles 



