290 The Natural History of Selborne 



support him till he was relieved by death at more than thirty years 

 of age. 



The good women, who love to account for every defect in 

 children by the doctrine of longing, said that his mother felt a 

 violent propensity for oysters, which she was unable to gratify ; and 

 that the black rough scurf on his hands and feet were the shells of 

 that fish. We knew his parents, neither of whom were lepers ; his 

 father in particular lived to be far advanced in years. 



In all ages the leprosy has made dreadful havoc among mankind. 

 The Israelites seem to have been greatly afflicted with it from the 

 most remote times, as appears from the peculiar and repeated 

 injunctions given them in the Levitical Jaw.* Nor was the 

 rancour of this foul disorder much abated in the last period of 

 their commonwealth, as may be seen in many passages of the New 

 Testament. 



Some centuries ago this horrible distemper prevailed all Europe 

 over ; and our forefathers were by no means exempt, as appears by 

 the large provision made for objects labouring under this calamity. 

 There was an hospital for female lepers in the diocese of Lincoln ; 

 a noble one near Durham ; three in London and Southwark ; and 

 perhaps many more in or near our great towns and cities. More- 

 over, some crowned heads, and other wealthy and charitable 

 personages, bequeathed large legacies to such poor people as 

 languished under this hopeless infirmity. 



It must, therefore, in these days be to an humane and thinking 

 person a matter of equal wonder and satisfaction, when he contem- 

 plates how nearly this pest is eradicated, and observes that a leper 

 now is a rare sight. He will, moreover, when engaged in such a 

 train of thought naturally inquire for the reason. This happy 

 change, perhaps, may have originated and been continued from the 

 much smaller quantity of salted meat and fish now eaten in these 

 kingdoms ; from the use of linen next the skin ; from the plenty of 

 better bread ; and from the profusion of fruits, roots, legumes, and 

 greens, so common in every family. Three or four centuries ago 

 before there were any enclosures, sown-grasses, field-turnips, or 



* See Leviticus, chap. xiii. and xiv. 



