I02

are very fenfible, that nothing in
this country, either air 0r diet,
produces the plague, though both
contribute very much to its pro-
grefs and violence, after it is
brought here or to any part of this
country from any other infected
place; for you know, by long ex-
perience, that it rages moi‘: in the
hot months of july, Augult, and
September, when the diet of molt
ofthe poorinhabitants (who are the
greatefi fufferers by the plague) con-
ills of unripe fruits, cucumbers,
melons, gourds, grapes, Sec.

The plague breaks out here and
at Smyrna fome years, when it is
not pofiible to trace whence it is
conveyed ; for fome houfes which
were infefled, and not well cleaned
after the infected perfon is remov.
ed, lodge {ome of the venomous
molecula: in wool, cotton, hair,
leather, or ikins, &c. all winter
long; which put in motion by the
lieat in April or May, breathe
out of their nidus, where they
Iefided, and recover f0 much life
and action as to enter into the cu-
taneous pores of any perfon who
comes within their reach, and f0
infect him. But plagues of this
kind feldom fpread, and are never
zfo fatal as thofe that come from
abroad.

Many are of opinion that the
lieat kills the plague, as they terrn
it; which is owing to a foolifh fu-
perfiition among the Greeks, who
pretend that it mull ceafe the 14th
0f June, being St. ]0hn’s day,
though they may obferve the con-
trary happen every year; and the
iirongeit plague that was at Smyr-
11a in my time, anna 1736, was
ltottefi about that time, and conti.
‘nued with great violence till the
latter end of September, tyhen it

ANNUAL REGIS'fER,i1766.

began to abate; but it was not en-
tirely over till the tzth of Novem-
ber, when Te Deum was fung in
the Capuchins convent.

This miflaken notion may be in
fome meafure owing to a wrong
fenfe put upon Profper Alpinus,
who allows that the plague at Cairo
begins to ceafe in the months of
June and July, when the firong
northerly winds (called Embats or
Etefian winds) begin to blow,
which makes the country much
cooler than in themonths of May,
April, and March, when the
plague rages mofi; which he very
jufily imputes to the great fufib-

cating heats and foutherly winds,

which reign, during thofe months,-

in that country; and it is then that
the fhips, which load rice, flax,
and other goods and merchandife
for Conliantinople, receive the in-
feftion, and carry it with them
hither; and, upon thefe goods be-
ing delivered to perfons in difier-
ent parts of the city, the plague
breaks out at once with great vio.
lence among the trading people of
the Greeks, Armenians, and Jews;
for I have obferved, both here and
at Smyrna, that the Turks are com-
monly the laft of the four nations
who are infected; but, when the
plague gets once among them, they
fufier mofl: by it, becaufe they take
the leafl care and precaution, and
their families are muchrnore nu.
rnerous.

The plague, as well as all other
epidemical difeafes, has its rife,
progrefs, ftate, and declenfion, when
it begins to Iofe its virulence, and
many of the fick recover. Some
years it is felt fporadically all the
winter; and we hear of fome ac-
cidents, in the Phanar, among the
Greeks, among the jews, Turks,

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