casions, besides the Aptitude of the pestilential Poison
to be taken down along with it; he chose rather to supply its Place with
Sack.'

Dr. _Bradley_[25] redeems it from this low Character, and represents it as
a great Antidote in the last Plague _Anno_ 1665. 'The Distemper did not
reach those who smoak'd Tobacco every Day, but particularly it was judged
best to smoak in a Morning: He farther gives you an Account of a famous
Physician, who in the pestilential Time took every Morning a Cordial to
guard his Stomach, and after that a Pipe or two, before he went to visit
his Patients; at the same time he had an Issue in his Arm, by which, when
it begun to smart, he knew he had received some Infection (as he says) and
then had recourse to his Cordial and his Pipe.' By this Means only he
preserved himself, as several others did at that Time by the same Method.

I could heartily wish those worthy Gentlemen had struck in with greater
Harmony to the Satisfaction and Security of the People, whose Expectations
were greatly raised by the Hopes of their Assistance, by gaining a greater
Light into the Nature, Quality, Symptoms, and Affections of this
definitive Ill, to have promoted their Safety, by giving the necessary
Indications relating to the Cure, as well as the necessary Precautions in
order to guard us from that secret Attack which may approach us by very
minute and unheeded Causes; the which, from their different Notions and
positive Contradictions, lay too deep from the narrow Re-searches of those
Philosophizing and Learned Gentlemen, and for the Manner whereby it kills,
its Approaches are generally so secret, that Persons seiz'd with it seem
to be fallen into an Ambuscade or a Snare, of which there was no Manner of
Suspicion. And there are very few Discourses relating to the Pestilence
but what abound in many Instances of this kind: And the Learned _Boccace_,
in his Admirable Description of the Plague at _Florence_ (quoted by Dr.
_Mead_[26] _Anno_ 1348) relates what himself saw, 'That two Hogs finding
in the Streets some Rags which had been thrown off from a poor Man dead of
the Disease, after snuffling upon them, and tearing them with their Teeth,
fell into Convulsions, and died in less than an Hour.'

The Misfortune which happened in the Island of _Bermudas_ about 25 Years
since, which Account is from Dr. _Halley_; A Sack of Cotton put ashore by
Stealth, lay above a Month without any Prejudice to the People of the
Hou