HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



Aftruc (V), is of a fait, or rather acid fait, corrofive, and 

 fixed nature. It occafions the condenfation and acrimo- 

 ny of the lymph, and from thence proceed the inflamma- 

 tions, warts, ulcers, erofions, pains, and all the other 

 horrid fymptoms known to phyficians. 



This poifon, when communicated to a found man, 

 ought not to be confidered, fays this author, as a new 

 humour added to the natural humours, but rather as a 

 mere dyfcrafia^ or vicious quality of the natural humours, 

 which degenerating from their natural (late, are changed 

 into acid falts. 



Almoft all phyficians have been perfuaded, that this 

 evil cannot arife otherwife than by means of contagion 

 communicated by the feminal liquor, or by milk, or fa- 

 liva, or fweat, or by contact with venereal ulcers, &c. 

 But we prefume to maintain, that the French evil can 

 pofitively be produced in man, without any contagion or 

 communication with thofe infected ; becaufe it can ab- 

 folutely be generated in the fame manner as it was gene- 

 rated in the firfl perfon who fuiTered it \ fuch perfon 

 could not get it by contagion, becaufe he would not in that 

 cafe have been the firft who fuffered it, but from another 

 caufe very different ; therefore, by a fimilar caufe, what- 

 ever it was, fome cachexia might have been produced 

 without contagion, in other individuals of the human 

 fpecies. This is true, fays Aftruc in America, or ano- 

 ther fuch country, but not in Europe. But wherefore 

 exempt Europe ? Becaufe, fays this author, the caufes 

 which could at firfr. have occafioned this evil in America, 

 do not take place there; and what are thofe caufes? 

 Let us examine them. 



In 



(») Ibid. Lib. ii. cap. 2. 



