O F S I L K, 219 



cipal arms, being full of fap and moifture, 

 crude and immature, will produce a moil 

 dangerous fatal diflemper in filkworms : 

 even by only giving them one feeding, they 

 grow immediately furfeited, znd throw out 

 of their mouths a greenifh liquour, and a 

 clear pellucid humour out of the pores of 

 their fkin, particularly out of the little 

 point which grows near their tail. This 

 clammy moifture by their rubbing againft 

 one another clofes up the vents by which 

 they breath, which are thofe black fpecks 

 that appear down each fide 3 and I fcarceever 

 knew worms recover from this diforder, 

 fo as to make filk worth any thing. It is 

 therefore much belter to avoid the diflem- 

 per than to attempt curing it; however, 

 as all may not be alike infefled, pick out 

 thofe which are in the worfl condition, and 

 if you have a mind to make experiments 

 on them you may. Then make the hur- 

 dles of thofe that remain, clean and dry ; 

 and letting them fail two or three hours, 

 give them afterwards fome of the beft 

 leaves you can choofe, but little at a time, 

 and gathered a good while beforei,-^^, ^^o^iq 

 Du Haldes hiftory of China mentions a 

 powder made of the dried mulberry-leaves 



in 



