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confequence, that attends, is the lofs of thofe parts, 
that drop off by the mortification ; for the wound 
heals of itfelf, without any application : but when it 
comes to its laft period, the poor fick perfons are hor- 
ribly deformed, and truly worthy of compaffion. 
This fhocking difeafe is obferved to have feveral 
other unhappy characters ; as, iff, that it is heredi- 
tary, and that fome families are more apt to be feized 
with it than others : 2dly, that it is infectious, being 
communicated per coitum , and alfo caught by keeping 
company with thofe fo difeafed : 3dly, that it is 
incurable, or at lead that no remedy has yet been 
found to cure it. They have in vain tried mercu- 
rials, fudorifics, and every other regimen ufed in 
venereal complaints, under a notion, that this leprofy 
was the confequence of fome venereal taint : but, 
inftead of being of fervice, thefe methods rather 
ferved to deftroy the patients ; for, far from leffening 
the difeafe, the antivenereal medicines unlocked the 
diffemper, the mod: dreadful fymptoms appeared, 
and all thofe fo treated periflied fome years fooner 
than the others, who did not take thefe medicines. 
A very jud fear of being infeCted with this cruel 
didemper ; the difficulty of examining infeCted per- 
fons before the difeafe came to its date j the length 
of time of its lying concealed, by the care of the 
patients to keep it fecret ; the uncertainty of the 
fymptoms, which didinguidi it in the beginning; 
produced an extrordinary dread in all the inhabitants 
of this illand. They lufpeCted one another, fince vir- 
tue and merit had no ffielter from this cruel fcourge. 
They called this didemper the leprofy; and confe- 
quently prefented feveral memoirs to the generals and 
intendants. 
