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PART III NATURAL HISTORY. 
ORIGINAL COxMMUXICATIONS. 
Akticle I. — Papular Eitovs tcith regard to Blight. By 
James Rennie, A.M. Professor of Natural Histoiy, 
King's College, London. 
(Gentlemen, 
There are fcnv \^'ords of more ^ague import, or less under- 
stood, than Blight, wliicli is popularly referred to some mysterioiiS 
state of the air or winds, which may not only produce inflammation of 
the face and eyes, but is conlidently believed to have the power of 
generating millions of insects, or at the very least, carrying them about, 
no one knows whence or wherefore ; though it would be equally cor- 
rect to suppose this same blighting wind or air, capable of generating 
or carrying about, a flock of sparrows or a herd of black cattle. This 
Ijlight has been described by some, to wear the appearance of a haze 
or blue mist, or a sultry, purplish, or orange tinge in the air ; while 
others pi-oraulgate certain fancies, equally unfounded and absurd, about 
its containing and depositing honey-dew, or being caused by electricity. 
That these notions are not confined to the vulgar and uneducated, 
is proved, by their having found their way into works of respectability 
and talent. In a work for example, just published, and distinguished 
tor considerable ability, though full of fancifid theory, I find the follow- 
ino- smgular passage. In " those singular collapsions and accumula- 
tions called a blight, Avhich cause them to become opaque and visible 
to the eye, the air itself becomes for miks suddenly filled with myriads 
of animalculae, unseen before, and unproduced by parents of the same 
sort, which must, out of certain of these elements, first i-adiant and 
next gaseous, liquid and solid, collapsing and condensing, suddenly and 
spontaneously have been formed.^^* 
Were this a mere theoretical fancy, unconnected with practice, we 
might leave it to be admired by the theorists with(nit remark; but as 
it is not so, I shall briefly show the errors into which it leads. As far 
as insects are concerned, I am quite certain that all accounts of Blight, 
similar to the preceding, are sheer nonsense ; though there can be no 
doubt that cold winds, easterly or northerlv, will produce inflammation 
* Hope's Oriijin and Prosp?rls of Man, Vol. 1, psji? 18!'. 
