254 History of Animal Plagues. 



the most recent and remarkable, I shall give a short descrip- 

 tion of it, till a more particular one can be procured from the 

 collected memoirs of the several countries which it invaded, of 

 which I have seen only a few. 



^The previous constitution of the air was, in England and in 

 the greater part of Europe, a great drought, which may be in- 

 ferred from the failure of the springs, in the abatement of the 

 fresh water in all its usual currrents and reservoirs, which are the 

 best measure of the quantity of moisture falling from the clouds. 

 What is most generally taken notice of in the accounts I have 

 seen from Germany, France, and some other places, was, that 

 the air in the beginning of winter, especially in November, was 

 more than usually filled with thick and frequent fogs, the matter 

 of which was not precipitated on the earth in rain, snow, or any 

 other beneficial dispensations. Fogs are so usual in this country 

 in November, that there was nothing particular observed about 

 them that I know of. But there was hardly anything fell from 

 the clouds during the month of November, except a very small 

 quantity of snow, attended with a frost of no long duration; 

 and this was all the winter we had. In the northern parts of 

 France there was a very small quantity of snow, which lasted 

 from their 15th and our 4th of November, till after Christmas. 

 This was succeeded by southerly winds and stinking fogs, during 

 which there was observed, by some chirurgeons, a great disposition 

 in wounds to mortify. Both before and during the continuance 

 of the disease in England, the air was warm beyond the usual 

 temper of the season, with great quantities of sulphureous 

 vapours, producing great storms of wind from the south-west, 

 and sometimes lightning without thunder. 



^ As to the time of invasion of the disease, it was different 

 in different countries. It invaded Saxony and the neighbouring 

 countries in Germany about the J 5th of November, and lasted 

 in its vigour till the 29th of the same month. It was earlier in 

 Holland than in England, earlier in Edinburgh than in London. 

 It was in New England before it attacked Britain; in London 

 before it reached some other places westward, as Oxford, Bath, 

 &c. ; and, as far as I can collect from accounts, it invaded the 

 northerly parts of Europe before the southerly. It lasted in its 



