54 ® Dr. latard on the Dijlefnper 
iicknefs. Such as are averfe to inoculation have obfti- 
natelv refufed to acknowledge it was fimilar to the fmall- 
pox in the human body, and have very idly afferted, 
that the only intention of declaring this contagion to be 
a fort of fmall-pox was purpofely, and with no other 
view than to promote inoculation for the fmall-pox. 
Others have as pofttively declared it to be a peftilential 
putrid fever, owing to a corrupted atmofphere, and arif- 
ing from infected paftures; but unfortunately for the 
fupporters of this opinion, while the contagious diftem- 
per raged with the utmoft violence on the coafts of Frife- 
land, North and South Holland, Zealand, and Flanders, 
there was not the leaf: appearance of it on the Englifh 
Coaft from the North Foreland to the Humber, although 
the coaft and climate are the fame. 
I fir all not dwell on Mr. turberville Needham’s 
eloquent difcourfe read at Bruflels, fince he muft have 
been convinced, when he came to England in i776,that 
the illnefs was of another fort than he imagined;: for 
fuch a proof of the inefficacy of fait recommended by 
him as an antifeptic in this difeafe has been given as is 
pofitive and decilive ; namely, that in Scania, a province in- 
Sweden, where it is cuftomary to place a large piece of 
rock fait, called falt-Jlein , for the cattle houfed in winter 
to lick, that they may be urged to drink, all the cattle in 
that 
