The Plague at Marseilles Consider'd Part 3

From whence I suppose, a Room of Nine or Ten Foot Cube, will contain Air enough to keep a single Man alive for one Day, but if two were to inhabit that s.p.a.ce for the same time, each would receive but half his Nourishment, and so both would be Sufferers; but a Room, perhaps, containing twice that s.p.a.ce, might well enough serve five People for a Day, supposing that all External Air was kept from Communication with such a Room, during the time the People were in it; for, as I have observ'd, that Air has certain Nouris.h.i.+ng Qualities in it, for the Maintenance of Human Life; so when those Nouris.h.i.+ng Parts are imbibed, and drawn in by the Lungs, the Air is return'd and flung out as invalid, and cannot be of Use a second Time to the same Person; an Example of which, we find very curiously demonstrated by Mr. _Newyentyte_; he tells us, that in making this Experiment, he discover'd that the same Nouris.h.i.+ng Quality in the Air, which is necessary to maintain Human Life, is also necessary to maintain Flame, which he proves thus:

A lighted Candle being set under a Bell, closely fix'd upon a Table, will burn perhaps a Minute or two in Proportion to the Quant.i.ty of Air pent up with the Candle in the Bell; but as soon as the Quality in that Air, which is necessary to feed the Flame, is exhausted, the Candle goes out; this has been often try'd with the same Success; and we find, that by letting into the Bell some fresh Air, a little before the Candle should have gone out, it will still continue burning: And then to shew that this Quality in the Air is the same which feeds the Life in Humane Bodies, it was try'd, whether the Air, returning from the Lungs, would not have the same Effect upon the Candle, as the External Air had before, but it had not, the Candle went out at its usual Time: Thus, it seems, when we suck in Air for Breath, the Lungs takes what is necessary for the Nourishment of our Bodies, and returns back the rest.

After this we may naturally conclude, that where the Rooms, or Houses are small, there ought to be frequent Admissions of the External Air, but especially where those Rooms or Houses are too much crouded with People; and if it is supposed that the External Air is Infectious, the burning of _Aromaticks_, _Gums_, or _Herbs_, upon the letting in of fresh Air, is necessary.

From the foregoing Observations we may learn, that all Pestilential Distempers, whether in Animals or Plants, are occasion'd by poisonous Insects convey'd from Place to Place by the Air, and that by uncleanly Living and poor Diet, Humane and other Bodies are disposed to receive such _Insects_ into the Stomach and most n.o.ble Parts; while, on the other Hand, such Bodies as are in full Strength, and are well guarded with Aromaticks, would resist and drive them away, but chiefly how necessary it is to allow the Body a Freedom of Air, and how to correct it if it is Infected.

And I shall conclude with some Memorandums taken from the Papers of a learned Gentleman, who in the time of the late Plague in _London_ was curious enough to make his Remarks upon the Signs of that Distemper, and the Method of its Cure.

He tells, the Plague proceeds first from a corrupted and unwholsome Air.

The Second, is putrified Humours, hot Blood, caused by breathing in such corrupt Air; and if the Diet before were perverse, it fills the Body with superfluous Humours.

Concerning the common Fear of Infection, which makes many rich Men, which might and ought to maintain poor visited People; and some Physicians likewise, whose Duty it is to administer Physick to them, flee away, so that in time of great Infection we hear more cry out for want of Bread and necessary means, than for anguish of the Disease.

Hence also came that inhumane Custom of shutting up of Houses that are visited with Pestilence, dejecting their Spirits, and consequently making way for the Disease, and taking Men from their Labour, which is a digester of Humours, and a preserver of Health; and if the Disease be Infectious (as in their Opinion it is) it is plain Murder, to shut Men up in an infected and destroying Air.

But all Mens Bodies are not full of Humours; if they were, all would be infected.

After this I find the following Directions to prevent Infection. _First_, To avoid the Fear of it, and support the Spirits in the next place.

_Secondly_, To keep the Body soluble, and to use the juice of _Lemons_ often. _Thirdly_, he recommends a Diet of quick Digestion, and to eat and drink moderately: He prescribes likewise the Smell of Aromaticks, such as _Camphire_, _Styrax_, _Calamites_, Wood of _Aloes_, &c. and to be taken inwardly, _Mithridate_, _Anjelica_, and _Petasetis_-Roots; and, in an express Manner, he recommends Cleanliness, and the Choice of a clear Air.

After Infection he tells us the Signs are an extraordinary inward Heat, a Difficulty of Breathing, a Pain and Heaviness in the Head, an Inclination to Sleep, frequent Vomiting, immoderate Thirst, a Dryness on the Tongue and Palate; but especially if we discover Risings or Swellings behind the Ears, in the Groin, or other tender Parts of the Body; but this last, where it happens, is of Advantage to the Patient; for he says, in such a Case, the Plague is rarely Mortal, for then Nature has Power to dispel the Venom, and drive it from the most n.o.ble Parts; and then he recommends Bleeding; but if Spots appear upon the Body, he advises the Use of _Emeticks_, and afterwards _Sudorificks_, which, by his Papers, we find he gave with good Success, but he decries the Use of Opiates at the Beginning of the Distemper.

He concludes with Directing of proper Cordials, to refresh and strengthen the Patient, such as _Confect. Hyacint._, _Confect. Alchermes_, _Pulv.

Gasconiae_, _Bezoar Orient._ and such like.

But my Worthy Friend, Sir _John Colebatch_, who has in other Cases declared himself for Publick Good, has, in this, likewise been Careful to provide against the Infection, and especially recommends to his Friends, to collect large Parcels of the Ripe _Ivy Berries_ which are known from the others by their Blackness.

Thus have I given my Reader such a View of the _Plague_ in general, as may point out to him its natural Cause, Progress of Infection, and the Methods that have been used by the Learned, to prevent the spreading that Terrible Distemper.

_FINIS_