VOL. XLII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 675 



seem no thicker when alive: they have the power, as most aquatic insects have, 

 of sinking to the bottom on the approach of a stick, &c, and fall like a piece of 

 rotten wood, or leaf. When taken out of the water, if laid on a paper, &c. 

 they will spring away like a grashopper. 



P. S. The animals were caught the day before, and kept in water in a glass; and 

 when he had finished his letter, and went to pack them up in paper, he found 

 none of them left, as he thought, at first; but on a nearer view he found they 

 were all collected together in a knot, which he took for some filth in the water, 

 till he more carefully viewed them, and found them hanging together by the tails. 



An Extract from the Books of the Town-Council of Edinburgh, relating to a 

 Disease there, supposed to be Venereal, in the Year 14^7, in a Letter from 

 Mr. Macky, to Mr. Maclaurin. N° 469, p. 420. 



If the venereal disease was never known in Europe till the siege of Naples 

 1495, it must have made a very quick progress indeed through Europe; for 

 in 1497, I find it raging in Edinburgh, and the king and his council terribly 

 alarmed at this contagious distemper, as appears from a proclamation of King 

 James the 4th, in the records of the Town-Council of Edinburgh. The minute 

 of council is dated the 22d of September. I have taken a copy of it for your 

 amusement, and, if you please, you may communicate it to the Society. I have 

 pretty nearly observed the old spelling, except in numbers. 



Sept. 11, 1497. — " It is our Soverane Lords will and the command of the 

 Lordis of his Counsale send to the Provest and Baillies within this bur' that this 

 proclamation foUowand be put till execution for the eschewing of the greit ap- 

 pearand danger of the infection of his leiges fra this contagious sickness callit 

 the grandgor and the greit uther skayth that may occur to his leiges and in- 

 habitans within this bur' ; that is to say, we charge straitly and commands be 

 the auhority above writtin, that all manner of personis being within the free- 

 dom of this bur' quilks are infectit or hes been infectit uncurit with this said 

 contagious plage callit the grandgor, devoyd, red and pass fur' of this town and 

 compeir apon the sandis of Leith at ten hours before none and thair sail thai 

 have and fynd botis reddie in the havin ordanit to them be the officeris of this 

 bur' reddely furneist with victuals to have thame to the Inche,* and thair to 

 remane quhill God proviyd for thair health : and that all uther personis the quilks 

 taks upon thame to hale the said contagious infirmitie and taks the cure thairof 

 that they devoyd and pass with thame sua that nane of thair personis quhilks 

 taks sic cure upon thame use the samyn cure within this bur' in pns nor peir 



* An island in the Frith of Edinburgh over against Leith. 

 4R2 



