VOL. XXXI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 477 



names; that the ancients confounded it with the leprosy; that the vast numbers 

 of leprous persons among us before the venereal disease was distinguished from 

 it, and the small number we observe at this time, is a flagrant proof of the 

 former: that in describing the symptoms of the leprosy, they give us those of 

 the venereal malady; and, by mentioning how it is communicated, they describe 

 the ways by which the pox is communicated at this day; that such remedies 

 were by them recommended to prevent the first attack, of the leprosy, as are at 

 this time in use to prevent the first symptoms of the pox; and that the falling 

 of the nose, which has been accounted the most remarkable symptom of the 

 venereal disease, was commonly observed in what they called the leprosy in 

 former ages. 



An Account of the great Meteor which appeared on the 6th of March, 1715. 

 % the late Rev. Mr. Roger Cotes. N*^ 365, p. 66. 



The appearance of the meteor was very nearly the same here at Cambridge 

 as in Yorkshire, excepting that the triangular streams of light were not so 

 permanent, and the point to which they all converged was about 20° from the 

 zenith, its azimuth lying between the south and the east at about 10° from the 

 south, towards which point of the compass the wind tended. I am told that 

 some streams were seen to shoot forth immediately after sun-set, and that they 

 did not perfectly cease till about 3 or 4 in the rtiorning. 



It was after 7 before I had notice of this uncommon sight. At first I saw 

 only two or three of the triangular streams towards the north and north-west; 

 these were not of long duration, but were succeeded by others which appeared 

 and vanished again by turns, rising from, and ascending up to places in the 

 heavens, of very different altitudes above the horizon. From the time I began 

 to view them, they continued to ascend more and more copiously, being pro- 

 pagated still farther and farther from the north towards the west and east, and 

 directed always to the heads of Gemini, till at length, when they seemed almost 

 to meet at the point of convergence, they began to ascend up towards it from 

 the southern parts also, and all around it; insomuch that at a quarter after 7 

 we had a perfect canopy of rays over us. The bottom of this canopy did no 

 where reach down to the horizon; for near the north, where it descended most, 

 its altutude was about 10 or 15 degrees; and near the south, where it descended 

 least, its altitude was about 40 degrees. It remained in this state about 2 mi- 

 nutes, during which time, we saw several colours, some fainter and more per- 

 manent, others brighter, but quickly vanishing. Thus in the west I observed 

 the rays to be tinged for some considerable time with an obscure and heavy red; 

 and in one of the brightest streams, at another time, there suddenly broke out 



