bo° k anci look like p ile s o f w o o d in w h a r f s w i t h p e n th o u fe ro ofs.
. * ' , How very unlike the Swifs cottages, though conilruded of
the feme materials. Nor are their houfes more diffimilar
than their manners. The ftriking difference between the
Swifs and Poliih peafants, in their very air and deportment,
flrongly marks the contrail of their refpedive governments.
The Swifs areopen, frank, rough, but ready to ferve you;
they nod their heads, or ilightly pull off their hats as you
pafs by, bm exped a return of civility: they are roufed by
the leaf! rudenefs, and are not to be infulted with impunity.
On the contrary, the Poliih peafants are cringing and fervile
in their expreffions of refped : they bowed down to the
ground; took off their hats or caps, and held them in their
hands till we were out of fight; flopped their carts on th<|
firil glimpfe of our carriage; in fhort, their whole behaviour
gave evident fymptoms of the abjed fervitude under which
they groaned. Yet liberty is as often the fubjed of encomium
in Poland as in Swifferland : how different, however,
are its operations in the two countries ! In the one it is
equally diffufed, and fpreads comfort and happinefs through
the whole community : in the other it centers in a few, and
is in reality the worft fpecies of deipotifm.
Before 1 clofe my account of Poland, 1 fhall juft curforily
mention, that in our progrefs through this country we could
not fail obferving feveral perfons with matted or clotted hair,'
which conftitutes a diforder called Plica Poloniea: it receives
that denomination becaufe it is confidered as peculiar to Poland
; although it is not unfrequent in Hungary, Tartary,
and feveral adjacent nations, and inftances of it are occafion-
ally to be found in other countries.
According to the obfervations of Dr. Vicat, an ingenious
Swifs phyfician long refident in Poland, and who has publiihed
lifhed a fatisfaólory treatife * upon this fubjeót ; the Plica ^ a p .
Polònica is fuppofed to proceed from an acrid vifcous h u - 1 . ■
moiir penetrating into the hair, which is tubular t : it then
exudes either from its fides or extremities, and clots the
whole together, either in feparate folds, or in one undiftin-
guifhed mafs. Its fymptoms, more or lefs violent, according
to the conflitution of the patient, or malignity o f the dif-
eafe, are itchings, fwellings, eruptions, ulcers, intermitting
fevers, pains in the head, languor, lowhefs of fpirits, rheu-
matifm, gout, and fometimes even convulfions, palfy, and
madnefs. Thèfe fymptoms gradually decreafe as the hair
becomes affé died. I f the patient is ihaved in the head, he
relápfes into all the-dreadful complaints which preceded the
eruption of the Plica ; and he continues to labour under
them, until a frefh growth of hair abforbs the acrid humour.
This diforder is thought hereditary; and is proved to be
contagious when in a virulent fiate.
Many phyficai caufes have been fuppofed to concur in
rendering the Plica more frequent in thefe regions than in
other parts : it would be an endlefs work to enumerate the
various conjedlures with which each perfon has fupported
his favourite hypothefis : the moft probable are thofe af-
fignèd by Dr. Vicat.
The firil caufe is the nature of the Poliih air, which is
rendered infalubrious by'numerous woods and moraffes:;
and occafionally derives an uncommon keennefs even in the
* Memoire fur la Plique Polonoife. • very rarely happens, has probably given rife
+ The dilatation o f the hair is fometimes to the notion, that the patient, if his hair
o coniiderable as to admit fmall globules o f is cut off, bleeds to death*
■blood ; this circumftance, which however
H h i midft