the Validity of the Doctrine of Contagion in the Plague. 15 



or a hedge being near, which could account for it, a whirl of 

 leaves and dust will rise in the air, and travel from a few yards, 

 perhaps to a quarter of a mile, and cease there ; and then an- 

 other perhaps will arise, and go on. These are only so many 

 lesser degrees of what is known in other countries, especially 

 North America, the West Indies, and still more the Eastern Archi- 

 pelago, bv the name of tornadoes and tiffoons ; and thev can only 

 be explained satisfactorily by supposing, that a change has taken 

 place in the relative electrical state of the earth and atmosphere, 

 and occasions either a sudden and considerable condensation or 

 expansion of the air over the particular spot, in consequence of 

 which the circumambient air rushes in to fill up the void ; and 

 these whirls or tornadoes travel in various and even opposite di- 

 rections at the same time, no doubt according to circumstances, 

 which are dependent entirely upon some electric interchange which 

 determines both the force and the extent of the motion. 



Dr. Robert Tainsh. — Was Surgeon of the Theseus, when in 

 the Mediterranean, at the siege of Acre. Had five cases of plague 

 on board, three Englishmen and two Frenchmen. They all re- 

 covered, and there was no communication of the plague to any 

 other persons on board the Theseus. 



. Mr. Edward Hayes. — Was born at Smyrna, and resided there 

 nearly all his life. Has seen very frequent occurrences of the 

 plague. The merchants always avoid it by shutting themselves 

 up from communication with the town, and only communicating 

 through purveyors, who are generally people who have had the 

 plague themselves. Has often known instances of persons hav- 

 ing communication with persons who were afflicted with the 

 plague, without catching the infection themselves. Considers 

 the plague to be absolutely contagious, that is to say, the atmo- 

 sphere must be in a state when it will spread a great deal more 

 than at other times. When an European dies of the plague, they 

 generally destroy the clothes ; that is, such as they cannot wash. 

 But when the natives die of the plague, the clothes are sold again; 

 that is, until lately. They now discover their folly, vid begin to 

 take the same precautions that they do with respect to Europeans' 

 clothes; at least with regard to the higher order of Turks, but It 

 is by no means a general custom. The greatest part of the Turks 

 make no hesitation in putting on the garments of a person who 

 has died of the plague, nor in sleeping in the same places ; but 

 that arises, in a great degree, from their being Predestinarians. 

 Great cold or great heat generally destroys the plague in Smyrna. 

 It is erroneously supposed that it must cease about the 24th of 

 June, because the 24th of June is St. John's day ; but it is quite 

 absurd to suppose that, because it has been seen to cease some- 

 times before; and has continued sometimes as late as July or 



August, 



