THE FUNGI PREVAIL AT NIGHT AND IN EPIDEMICS. 51 



LECTURE III. 



THE FUNGI ARE ACTIVE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT NIGHT, 

 AND ABOUND DURING THE PREVALENCE OF EPIDEMICS 

 AND EPIZOOTICS. 



THE most common Malarious diseases are not produci- 

 ble by exposure in sickly places, during the day time. 

 Whatever may be their cause, it seems to have activity 

 almost solely at night. Darkness appears to be essential 

 to~either its existence or its power. As this position is 

 not generally acknowledged, I may be pardoned for going 

 into some detail on it. 



Dr. James Lind cites the following case. The Phoenix 

 sloop-of-war of forty guns, was employed in 1766 on the 

 coast of Africa; where also was the Hound on the same 

 duty. Both vessels, after a healthful cruise, put into the 

 African island of St. Thomas, notorious for its pestilen- 

 tial character. Here, of the crew of the Phoenix, slept on 

 shore, seven officers and servants, while three midship- 

 men, five seamen, and one boy, were also employed on a 

 watering party, which detained them on land at night. 

 Of these sixteen persons, only two survived the malignant 

 fever which followed. The remainder of the crew of two 

 hundred and eighty men, were permitted to go ashore in 

 the day time, where the men rambled about at pleasure, 

 followed field sports, and washed their soiled clothing. 

 Not one of these ivas attacked with any kind of fever, and 



