a fingular African Wind* 53 
The Harmattan feafon is in the Dunco language called Pep - 
peh y fignifving a dry and rough fkin. 
3. Salubrity forms a third peculiarity of the Harmattan.. 
Though this wind is fo very prejudicial to vegetable life, and 
occafions fuch difagreeable parching efFefls on the human fpe- 
cies, yet it is highly conducive to health. Thofe labouring 
under fluxes and intermitting fevers generally recover in an 
Harmattan. Thofe weakened by fevers, and finking under 
evacuations for the cure of them, particularly bleeding, which 
is often injudicioufly repeated, have their lives faved, and vigour 
reflored, in fpite, of the dodor. It flops the progrefs of epide- 
mics : the fmall-pox, remittent fevers, &c. not only difappear,. 
but thofe labouring under thefe difeafes when an Harmattan 
comes on, are almoft certain of a fpeedy recovery. Infection 
appears not then to be eafily communicated even by art. In the 
year 1770 there were on board the Unity, at Whydah, above 
300 Haves ; the fmall-pox broke out among them, and it was 
determined to inoculate ; thofe who were inoculated before the 
Harmattan came on got very well through the difeafe. About 
feventy were inoculated a day or two after the Harmattan fet in ; 
but not one of them had either ficknefs or eruption. It was 
imagined, that the infeftion was effectually difperfed, and the 
fhip clear of the diforder ; but in a very few weeks it began to 
appear among thofe feventy. About fifty of them were inocu- 
lated the fecond time ; the others had the difeafe in the natural 
way : an Harmattan came on, and they all recovered, except 
one girl, who had an ugly ulcer on the inoculated part, and 
died fome time afterwards of a locked jaw. The great falubrity, 
and the power of checking epidemics, are fuch extraordinary 
properties of the Harmattan, that I deiired Mr. norris, on his 
next voyage to the Coafl ? to afcertain thefe points by further 
inquiries* 
