THE SOURCE OF THE NILE At 
Rant thitft, asthelymph, which continually oozes from their 
wounds, asdialily demands to be replaced. ' It is averred by 
the Abyffinians that it is not infectious. I have feen the 
wives of thofe who were in a-very inveterate flage of this 
illnefs, whovhad born them feveral children, who were yet 
perfectly free and found from any contagion. Nay, I do not 
remember to have feen children vifibly infeted with this 
difeafe at all; though, I muft own, none of them had the 
appearance of health. It is faid this difeafe, though furely 
born with the infant, does not become vifible till the ap- 
proach to manhood, and fometimes it is s faid to pafs by 2 
whole eee . 
ibn chies feat of this difeafe is from the bending of the 
knee downwards to the ancle ; the leg is {welled to a great 
degree, becoming one fize from bottom to top, and gather- 
ed into circular wrinkles, like fmall hoops or plaits; be- 
tween every one of which there is an opening that feparates 
it all round from the one above, and which is all raw fleth; 
or perfeGily excoriated. From between thefe circular divi- 
fions a great quantity of lymph conftantly oozes. The fwell- 
ing of the leg reaches over the foot, fo as to leave about an 
inch or little more of it feen. It fhould feem that the black 
colour of the fkin, the thicknefs of the leg, and its fhapelefs 
form, and the rough tubercules, or excrefcences, very like 
thofe feen upon the elephant, give the name to this difeafe, 
and form a ftriking refemblance between the diftempered 
legs of this unfortunate individual of the human fpecies, 
and thofe of the noble quadruped the elephant, when in 
full vigour. 
j 
Vou. TW... AN 
Wahi 
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