From these facts, and also from what was formerly mentioned of contagion not affecting indiscrimately all that may be exposed to it, it would appear that some nice coincidence of circumstances is necessary to modify an animal body, so as to receive its action. There must be a sort of unison, as it were, or sympathy, betwixt different living bodies, so as to render them susceptible of each other’s influence. It is none of the least curious facts with regard to infection, that there are some species of it by which the body is liable to be affected only once in life. When this is considered, it is indeed conformable to what happens in the course of the disease itself; for, unless there was in the body a power of resisting it, there could be no such thing as recovery. Where the disease actually exists, the continued presence of the poison, which is also infinitely multiplied, would infallibly prove fatal in all cases, unless the living powers were to become insensible to it[48]. [47] Hunter’s Experiments. [48] Mr. Hunter’s Lectures. [49] It is sincerely to be wished that this were adopted, and it is surprising that an article so salutary and necessary, and so difficult to be procured on foreign stations, should not have been the object of public attention, rather than a mere article of luxury, such as tobacco. But in order that it might not be a matter of choice with seamen, it would be worth while to supply them with it at prime cost, or even as a gratuity, and then they might be compelled to use it for the purpose of cleanliness. There are other articles of less importance, but being necessary to enable men upon foreign stations to keep themselves neat and clean, deserve to be made the object of public instruction. These are handkerchiefs for the neck, thread, worsted, needles, buckles, and knives.