202 PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE PLAGUE. 



Yes. 'Tis even so ; and worse. When the plague 

 is raging badly, no one who has any regard for 

 his life will admit even his dearest friend into his 

 house, until he has undergone the operation of 

 being fumigated, that is, half-smothered in a shut- 

 up box, in which some sulphur and other disagree- 

 able articles are burnt under his nose, in order to 

 purify his clothes ; and even after undergoing this 

 fearful process the strictest quarantine is observed ; 

 no one shakes hands with the unfortunate, smoke- 

 dried individual, and all susceptible articles are 

 put out of his way. I have heard of persons 

 dining together in this manner, and, when the 

 plague was raging, in the strictest quarantine, 

 without table-cloths, and carefully avoiding to 

 touch each other or any susceptible articles. It 

 should be mentioned, for the information of those 

 who have not been accustomed to quarantine, 

 that articles of food do not carry infection, the 

 only prohibited one, I believe, being quite new 

 bread. 



Persons may wonder how any one can travel 

 in such a country, where, they may probably 

 think, every one must be afraid of his life from 

 morning till night. I confess the idea did at first 



