224 THE CULTURE 



It is true indeed, that dillempers of the 

 fame kind may ariie from fome pecuUar 

 piitrined liate, or malignancy in the atmof- 

 phere, as in a hot and moift fummer, or 

 in places abounding with mineral exha- 

 lations, or fubje6t to earthquakes, which 

 let loofe fuch ileams. But then, the dif- 

 temper will appear more univerfal, and will 

 more or lefs afFe6l all the filk worms in ad- 

 jacent places i in this cafe, often cleaning 

 the litter away will contribute to preferve 

 the worms, as alfo not keeping them too 

 much thronged and crowded together. The 

 malignancy of the air may perhaps be in 

 fome meafure qualified, by keeping Ben^ 

 zoin, or even rolin melted in a pan, fo as 

 to mix its fume with the air of the cham- 

 ber j for I find the fume of fuch aromatick 

 gums recommended in fome books, but 

 without diftinguifhing precifely for what 

 Icind of difordersj with thefe alfo they 

 mention the fume of hot vinegar, and this 

 laft, being of known efficacy againft putrid 

 and peftilential diforders, has probably been 

 found ufeful to fiikworms in fuch diflem- 

 pers, though indifcriminately prefcribed, 

 to other diforders it would prove inef- 

 fe61:ual; and this method of prefcribing 



muft 



