Epidemics Examined and Explained: or, Living Germs Proved by Analogy to be a Source of DiseaseGrove, John
Philosophy
Epidemics Examined and Explained: or, Living Germs Proved by Analogy to be a Source of Disease
Grove, John
Epidemics; Germ theory of disease
"Of an unaccountable vapour suddenly coming, I have this relation from
Richard Humphrey, my neighbour, and a man of veracity, that on Wednesday,
April 27, 1727, as he and one Walter, were travelling a-foot from
Canterbury; when they came to Rainham, they were assaulted with such a
strong loathsome stink, as he thought was like the stench from a corrupted
human corpse. They were so offended at it, as thinking it was from carrion
in that town, that they would not stay there to rest and refresh
themselves, but travelled on for about two hours, mostly in the stench, but
sometimes out of it, till they came to the hill that leads down to Chatham:
and there they went clear out of it and smelt it no more."--_Dr. Fuller_.
It appears that these persons did not fall sick of any disease, but the
fact of itself is remarkable enough.
[22] Hamilton's History of Medicine.
[23] It has been said, that "an induction once carefully drawn, is as
perfect from a single instance as it is from ten thousand, and that it is
only an uncultivated mind which requires a load and accumulation of
knowledge to assist his thoughts."--_Sewell_ "on the Cultivation of the
Intellect."
[24] See Dr. Alison's Pamphlet on the Fever in Edinburgh.
[25] Earthquakes have in all times been considered to have some connexion
with pestilences. "A most grievous pestilence broke out in Seleucia, which
from thence to Parthia, Greece, and Italy, spread itself through a great
part of the world, from the opening of an ancient vault in the temple of
Apollo, and that it raged with so much fury as to sweep away a third part
of the inhabitants of those countries it visited."--_Dr. Quincy, on the
Causes of Pestilential Disease._
"Upon an earthquake the earth sends forth noisome vapours which infect the
air; so it was observed to be at Hull in Yorkshire, by the Rev. Mr. Banks,
of that place, after a small earthquake there in 1703, it was a most sickly
time for a considerable while afterwards, and the greatest mortality that
had been known for fifteen years."--_Anonymous_, 1769.
[26] See Sharon Turner's Sacred History, text and notes, vol. i. p. 161 &
162.
[27]
"Each seed includes a plant; that plant, again,
Has other seeds, which other plants contain,
Those other plants have all their seeds; and those
More plants, again, successively enclose.
Thus ev'ry single berry that we find,
Has really in itself whole forests of its kind.
Empire and wealth one acorn may dispense,
By fleets to sail a thousand ages hence;
Each myrtle-seed includes a thousand groves,
Where future bards may warble forth their loves."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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