1 88 The Natural History 



scaly eruption usually broke out twice in the year, at the 

 spring and fall ; and, by peeling away, left the skin so 

 thin and tender that neither his hands or feet were able 

 to perform their functions ; so that the poor object was 

 half his time on crutches, incapable of employ, and 

 languishing in a tiresome state of indolence and inac- 

 tivity. His habit was lean, lank, and cadaverous. In 

 this sad plight he dragged on a miserable existence, a 

 burden to himself and his parish, which was obliged to 

 support him till he w^as reUeved by death at more than 

 thirty years of age. 



The good women, who love to account for every defect 

 in children by the doctrine of longing, said that his 

 mother felt a violent propensity for oysters, which she 

 was unable to gratify ; and that the black rough scurf on 

 his hands and feet were the shells of that fish. We 

 knew his parents, neither of which were lepers ; his father 

 in particular lived to be far advanced in years. 



In all ages the leprosy has made dreadful havoc among 

 mankind. The Israelites seem to have been greatly 

 afillicted with it from the most remote times ; as appears 

 from the t peculiar and repeated injunctions given them 

 in the Levitical law.^ Nor was the rancour of this foul 

 disorder much abated in the last period of their common- 

 wealth, as may be seen in many passages of the New 

 Testament. 



Some centuries ago this horrible distemper prevailed 

 all Europe over ; and our forefathers were by no means 

 exempt, as appears by the large provision made for 

 objects labouring under this calamity. There was an 

 hospital for female lepers in the diocese of Lincoln, a 

 noble one near Durham, three in London and Southwark, 

 and perhaps many more in or near our great towns 

 and cities. Moreover, some crowned heads, and other 

 wealthy and charitable personages, bequeathed large 

 legacies to such poor people as languished under this 

 hopeless infirmity. 



It must therefore, in these days, be, to an humane and 

 thinking person, a matter of equal wonder and satisfaction, 

 ^ See Levilicus, chap. xiii. and xiv. 



