154 NATURAL HISTORY OP SELBORNE. 



slumbers by a little untimely warmth ; and therefore that nothing so 

 much promotes this death-like stupor as a defect of heat. And farther, 

 it is reasonable to suppose that two whole species, or at least many 

 individuals of those two species of British hirundines do never leave 

 this island at all, but partake of the same benumbed state; for we 

 cannot suppose, that after a month's absence, house-martins can return 

 from southern regions to appear for one morning in November, or that 

 house-swallows should leave the districts of Africa to enjoy in March 

 the transient summer of a couple of days. I am, &c. 



LETTER XXXVII. 



TO THE SAME. 



SELBOKNE, Jan. 8th, 1778. 



DEAR SIR, There was in this village several years ago a miserable 

 pauper, who from his birth was afflicted with a leprosy, as far as we are 

 aware of a singular kind, since it affected only the palms of his hands 

 and the soles of his feet. This 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 inactivity. 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 was relieved 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 afflicted with it from the most 

 remote times, as appears from the 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 commonwealth, 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 South wark; and perhaps 

 many more in or near our great towns and cities. Moreover, some 

 crowned heads, and other wealthy and charitable personages, be- 

 queathed large legacies to such poor people as languished under this 

 hopeless infirmity. 



* See Leviticus, xiii. xiv. 



