56 
A great variety of medical and chemi- 
eal works have lately made their appear- 
ance in America on the origin and mode 
of prevention of the yellow fever, It 
feems to be generally admitted, that the 
fever is not am imported difeafe, at leait 
that it has, im feveral inftances, originated 
from the putrefying offal of animal and 
vegetable matter about the docks of the 
American ports: with the removal of this 
infe€ting mafs, the fever has uniformly 
been mitigated, and gradually removed. 
Upon this fact Dr. MITCHELL has found- 
ed a theory, which is at prefent very po- 
ie that azate, or nitwous gas (called 
y him Septon and the Septu acid), is 
the proximate caufe of infectious fever ; 
and that lime and the alcalis, by neutra- 
lizing the acid, deftroy the fource of in- 
fcétion. 
Dr. PrrestLey’s “ daft Defence of 
the declining Caufe of Phlogitton,” has 
been anfwered in America by citizen A- 
det, envoy from the Fzench republic, and 
by Dr. MacLean. 
The epidemics which have lately ra- 
vaged fo large a part of the United States 
ef America, have not been confined to the 
human fpecies: the cats have been affect- 
ed wih a diftemper fimilar to that which 
proved fo fatal to them in London laft 
year: horned cattle, alfo, have been very 
generally difeafed: the foxes in fome parts 
of Maffachufetts and New Hampfhire, 
have fallen in great numbers by ditfeafe ; 
and, in fome of the eaftern fates, geefe 
have been affected in a very fingular man- 
ner: many have been feen to feize fome 
object with their bills, and adhere to it 
till they died. 
The chemical fociety of Philadelphia 
have appointed a committee of five mem- 
bers to analife, gratis, any ore or mine- 
zal fubftances that fhall be fent by any 
citizen, free of expence, and accompanied 
with an account of the place and fituation 
in which it was found. 
Extras of Letters from La LANDE, in- 
fpeteur du College de France, Directeur 
de P Obfervatoire de la Republique Fran- 
coife, Cc. Ec. to Major Von Zach, 
of Gotha. 
FIRST EXTRACT. 
The Turkith ambaflador fhows me 
great civility and friendfhip, being very 
partial to the fludy of aitronomy. On 
the 15th of November, 1797, he attended, 
in company with the reft of the:forcign 
ambaffadors, the annual opening of the 
feffions of the College de France, 1m which 
I read my “ Hiffory of Aftronomy” forthe 
year 1797. After the ‘terminations of 
the fittings, he honoused me with a vifit, 
Afronomical ntelligence. 
accompanied by his whole /uite, and drank 
coffee at my houfe. He is a perfon of 
ftrong intellect, well informed, and in- 
terefts himfelf greatly in acquiring a 
knowledge of our arts, fciences, and li- 
terature. He is very conftant in his at- 
tendance at the Lyceum, where a fofa is 
appropriated to his feparate accommoda- 
tien. Whenever he fees me, he beckons 
me to him, and infifts upon my feating 
myfelf next him. His interpreter, a na- 
tive of Athens, named CODRIKA, is 
likewife a man of good abilities, and has 
tranilated feveral of my writings into the 
Greek language. Notwithfanding the 
prejudice generally entertained . againft 
the Turks, as promoters of learning, it 
appears they are not totally negleétiul of 
the {ciences. A mathematical fchool has 
lately been eftablithed at Conftantinople, 
confifting of four profeffors and fifty 
pupils. Citizen BEAUCHAMP has tranf- 
mitted to us proof fheets of the tables of 
logarithms now printing at Conftanti- 
nople with Turkith types. 
The printing of my ‘ Connoiffance des 
tems Année,” vili. (1800) which is car- 
ried on at the national printing-office, 
being fuddenly fufpended, I immediately 
waited on the Director BARRAS, who re- 
ceived me with the greateft affability, 
and infifted on my ftaying to dinner. 
No fooner had I returned home, than I 
experfenced the beneficial effe€ts of my 
vilit, being mof agreeably furprifed with 
the receipt of the proof fheets from the 
ofaice. I fhall not attempt to defcribe 
the high fatisfaétion I enjoyed in the ua- 
expected obligation. It affords an in- 
conteftible proof that barbarity and Go- 
thic ignorance no longer ufurp the reins 
of government. 
My aftronomical Je€tures in the College 
de France ave attended. by fixty hearers, 
and their number increafes yearly: a- 
pleafing proof that the love of knowledge 
gains ground among us. The fangui- 
nary Kobdefpierre glutted his thirft for 
blood with the murder of men of fcience; 
he hated them, and net without reafon, 
for he was a tyrant. — 
SECOND EXTRACT. 
Paris, Fanuary, 1798- 
BuvonaparTe holds the ftudy of 
aftronomy in high efteem, not merely as 
a patron of fcience, but becaufe he has a 
practical knowledge of its value and im- 
portance. His acquirements in this 
ranch are not fuperficial; he has. en- 
tered into the detail, as I have had an 
opportunity of difcovering in the courte 
of my converfations with this extraordi- 
nary man. 
THIRD 
