The conful then appointed a market-man from among his do-
meftics ; and his ftation was at the gate near the Janizary. After
about three weeks, he was attacked, carried with his bedding to
the hofpital, and died the fame day. A maid fervant next complained
that {he had taken cold by fleeping on the terrace. She had
a flight fever with the head-ach. Half a paper of James’s powder
purged and fweated her. The fever returned every afternoon.
Another half paper vomited her; but neither eating nor
fleeping {he grew coftive and weak. An Italian, who was phy-
fician to the Factory, came on the ninth or tenth day from the
country, and /landing below, ordered the patient to be brought
to the flair-head. He obferved a vein, under her tongue, black
and very turgid ; pronounced her diforder to be the plague ; and
advifed fending her to the hofpital, where his opinion was confirmed
by a Greek. She was then removed to the Roman Catholic
hofpital, and died after lingering on ten days. The welfare
o f a large family was rendered fufpicious by this alarming
incident. We had reafon to rejoice, both that we did not tarry
in Smyrna, and that we had met with our friend at Hadgilar.
T he malady did not abate in May, when we took poflefiion
of our afylum. Four perfons were feized in the family of the
Cadi, the deputy chancellor of the French nation died, and a
drugoman or interpreter was attacked. Turks, Jews, Greeks,
Armenians, and the like, perilhed without number. Of the
Greeks alone fometimes above an hundred and thirty were buried
in a day. It was generally agreed the calamity had not been fe-
verer in the memory of man. In July, when the Captain Palha
arrived to receive the taxes and tribute-money, fome hundreds of
houfes, it was faid, were unoccupied or without owners. A fire,
which began to rage near the Frank quarter, feemed, amid all
this mifery, to threaten new afflidion, but was fortunately
fubdued.
T he plague might perhaps be truly defined, a difeafe arifing
from certain animalcules, probably invifible, which burrow and
form
form their nidus in the human body. Thole, whether generated
originally in Egypt or elfewhere, fubfift always in fome
places fuited to their nature. They are imported almoft annually
into Smyrna, and this fpecies is commonly deftroyed by
intenfe heat. They are leaft fatal at the beginning and latter
end of the feafon. I f they arrive early in the fpring, they are
weak; but gather ftrength, multiply, and then perifh. The
pores of the fkin, opened by the weather, readily admit them.
One or more tumours, chiefly in the glandular parts, enfue, with
a variety of the mod affliding fymptoms. I f the patient furvive
fuppuration, he is dreadfully in fe c t io u s a n d the ^calamity is
woefully augmented by the confideration that one recovery is no
fecurity from future attacks. Seycufe, an Armenian, who had
been our cook, and at my requeft revealed his unfightly fears,
perilhed now; and, as I was allured, it fometimes happens, that
in one feafon an individual is twice a fufferer.
T he plague is a difeafe communicating chiefly, if not folely,
by contad. Hence, though it encircle the houfe, it will not
affed the perfons within, if all are uniformly difereet and provident,
as experience has demonftrated. Tranquillity of mind
and freedom from apprehenfion cannot be expeded. They are
moft difagreeably, and without the minuteft care moft dangeroufly
circumftanced. Iron, it is obferved, and the like fubftances,
which are o f a clofe hard texture, do not retain, or are not fulcep-
tible of the contagion. In bodies foft or porous, and efpecially
in paper, it lurks often undilcovered but by its feizing fome vidim.
The prefervatives are fumigation, and walhing with water or
vinegar. In particular a letter is taken up with a pair of tongs,
and in a manner finged before it can be opened with fafety. Do-
meftic animals, which are prone to wander, mull be excluded or
deftroyed. A large family will require many articles to be procured
from without, and is expofed in proportion to its wants.
I f in the city, a clandeftine intercourfe of debauched fervants is
ever to be feared; if in the country and detached, fome untoward
accident or trivial but important inadvertency. Unremitting