[ +5 ] 
found in their ulcers : want of deep, or frightful 
dreams, afflicted Tome > while others quite loft their 
voice, or it became effeminate like that of eunuchs ; 
and others, we found, ftunk extremely. 
9. Almoft all of them, being defirous of conceal- 
ing their diforders, endeavoured to deceive us, by 
alleging falfe excufes for the caufes of their fores 
and ulcers : the greater part of them pretended, that 
the rats had eaten off their toes, and that burns had 
caufed their ulcers. Thefe were the figures, that 
every where prefented to us. 
10. We were confirmed in our opinions by expe- 
rience, fupported by verbal procefs, that this was the 
ftate of the difeafed ; that the diftemper could nei- 
ther be the pox, nor the effedt of an inveterate one : 
that it had no fymptom of that difeafe ; but that it 
had every character of what the ancients called le- 
profy, elephantiafis, or luch other names, as they 
were pleafed to give it. So that we do not hefitate 
to pronounce, that thofe infedted with this difeafe, 
as we have defcribed it, ought to be treated as leprous 
perfons, and fubjedt to the ordinances, which his 
majefty was pleated to iffue againft fucli perfons. 
11. Again, we are well affured, from our ob- 
fervations, that the diftemper is contagious, and he- 
reditary ; and yet the contagion is not fo adtive, nor 
poifonous, as that of the plague, fmall-pox, nor even 
as the ring-worm, itch, fcald, and other cutaneous 
diforders : for, if that were the cafe, the American 
colonies would be utterly deftroyed ; and thefe per- 
fons fo infedted, mixed as they are in every habita- 
tion, would have already infedted all the Negroes,, 
whom they come near. 
11. We. 
