SECT. II. DISEASES. 485 



juices, gangrene, etiolation, suffocation, contor- 

 tion, consumption. 



SUBSECTION I. 



Blight. Much has been written on the nature of 

 blight ; and in proportion as words have been multi- 

 plied on the subject, the difficulties attending its 

 elucidation have increased. This disease was well 

 known to the ancient Greeks, who, were however 

 totally ignorant of its cause, regarding it merely as 

 a blast from heaven, indicating the wrath of their 

 offended deities, and utterly incapable of prevention 

 or cure. It was known also to the Romans under the 

 denomination of rubigo, who regarded' is in the 

 same light as the Greeks, and even believed it to be 

 under the direction of a particular detiy, Rubigus, 

 whom they solemnly invoked that blight might be 

 kept from corn and trees. It is still well known 

 from its effects to every one having the least know- 

 ledge of husbandry or gardening ; but it has been 

 very differently accounted for. And, perhaps, there 

 is no one cause that will account for all the different 

 cases of blight, or disease going by the name of 

 blight; though they have been supposed to have 

 all the same origin. If we take the term in its 

 most general acceptation I think it will include at 

 least three distinct species blight originating in Divisible 

 cold and frosty winds, blight originating in a sort of species, 

 sultry and pestilential vapour, and blight originat- 



