ON FAMINES. 129 



land, which lasted four years ; 954, famines in England ; 

 864, 974, 1005, in Scotland, which lasted two years ; 1047, 

 in England ; 1050, 1087, in England ; a famine from 1193 

 to 1195, which led to a pestilential fever, in England; 

 1251, one so dreadful that the people devoured the flesh of 

 horses, dogs, cats, and vermin ; again in 1315, 1318, 1335, 

 1345, in England and France, called the " dear summer ;" 

 1353, in England ; 1389 and 1438, so great that bread was 

 formed of fern roots ; in 1565, two millions were expended 

 on the importation of corn ; one in 1748, at the Cape de 

 Verds, when 16,000 persons perished ; 1775, another in 

 England ; in 1798, again throughout the kingdom ; in 

 1801, scarcity in Ireland, again in 1814, 1816, 1822, 

 1831. 



(504.) In this country we are governed by individuals 

 of three classes, viz., by men whose duty it is to provide 

 for the welfare of the soul ; by those whose profession it is 

 to protect person and property ; and by a third class, who 

 possess their right by virtue of their ancestors. Those, 

 however, who protect the body, are allowed to take no part 

 in the great councils of the state ; and even Jenner, Hunter, 

 and Harvey, remained in their private capacity. From 

 this cause the living remain amongst the exhalations of the 

 dead ; deleterious and poisonous adulterants are suffered to 

 exist in our food ; and habits of life are allowed which are 

 in the highest degree prejudicial to the welfare of the com. 

 munity. 



(505.) To prevent this, a council of health might be ap- 

 pointed to watch and report upon all external causes which 

 can possibly affect the bodily health of the community. 



(506.) The duty of such a council, at the present time, 

 would be to ascertain what food is to be procured, and how 



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