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the fouth and north winds make a difference of i f to 
20 degrees in 24 hours : fo that I can’t fee any other 
apparent caufe of the virulency of the difeafe this 
year, befides the occafion of greater communication. 
In the months of February, March, April, and May 
laft, the diftemper was fo flrong at Cairo, as appears 
by letters from the Englifh conful there, that no 
doors were open’d for three months. In the mean 
time there arrived here in May laft four Chips loaden 
with Cairo goods; which goods and men being landed, 
fpread the infection over all the city at once, after 
which, one convey’d it to another by contact. 
The only apparent caufe of the virulency in this 
cafe is, four fhips arriving from Cairo, inftead of 
one or two, at the fame time; and if you pleafe,you 
may add to this fome little difference of the feafons, 
mention’d in my letter to Dr. Mead, and a greater 
quantity of cucumbers, melons, and fruit, than ufual, 
- upon which the poorer fort of people feed. 
However I don’t believe the number of the dead 
any- ways equal to common report, for the reafons 
following : 
The Turks have no bills of mortality, but they 
reckon, that in and about Conftantinople there are 
confumed daily 20,000 killows of flour. Every 
killow is reckon’d to weigh 20 oques, and every 
oque is equal to 400 drachms, and 160 drachms 
thought fuflicient for a perfon for 24 hours, or one 
complete day, taking men, women, and children 
together. Wherefore one killow makes bread enough 
for 50 perfons per day ; but the confumption of bread 
in the months of July, Auguft, and September, was 
3000 killows ihort : from which it is concluded, that 
3000 
