LEPROSY. 209 



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 whom 

 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 afflicted 

 with it from the most remote times, as appears from the pecu- 

 liar 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 commonwealth, as may be seen in many 

 passages of the New Testament. 



Some centuries ago, this horrible distemper prevailed all 

 over Europe ; 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 a humane and 

 thinking person, a matter of equal wonder and satisfaction, 

 when he contemplates how nearly this pest is eradicated, and 

 observes that a leper is now a rare sight. He will, moreover, 

 when engaged in such a train of thought, naturally inquire for 

 the reason. This happy change, perhaps, may have originated 

 and been continued from the much smaller quantity of salted 

 meat and fish now eaten in these kingdoms from the use of 

 linen next the skin from the plenty of better bread and 

 from the profusion of fruits, roots, legumes, and greens, so 

 common in every family, f Three or four centuries ago, before 

 there were any enclosures, sown grasses, field turnips, or field 

 carrots, or hay, all the cattle that had grown fat in summer, 

 and were not killed for winter use, were turned out soon after 

 Michaelmas to shift as they could through the dead months ; 



* See Leviticus, chap. xiii. and xiv. 



f Leprosy is closely allied to scurvy ; and certainly has been nearly 

 eradicated, from the causes pointed out by our author, with the use of 

 tea, coffee, and other diluting diet. Medical practitioners treat it in thy 

 same manner as scurvy. The case here noticed has been certainly a 

 peculiar one. En. 



O 



