The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Discourse on the Plague, by Richard Mead

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Title: A Discourse on the Plague

Author: Richard Mead

Release Date: April 28, 2010 [EBook #32171]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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A
DISCOURSE
ON THE
PLAGUE:

BY

_RICHARD MEAD_,

Fellow of the College of Physicians,
and of the Royal Society; and
Physician to his MAJESTY.

The NINTH EDITION corrected and enlarged.

_LONDON_,
Printed for A. MILLAR, against _Catharine-Street_,
in the _Strand_:

And J. BRINDLEY in _New-Bond-Street_.

MDCCXLIV.

TO THE
RIGHT HONOURABLE
_James Craggs_, Esq;

ONE OF
His MAJESTY'S Principal Secretaries
of State.

_SIR_,

I MOST humbly offer to You my Thoughts concerning the _Prevention of the
Plague_, which I have put together by your Command. As soon as you were
pleased to signify to me, in his _Majesty's_ Absence, that their
Excellencies the _Lords Justices_ thought it necessary for the publick
Safety, upon the Account of the _Sickness_ now in _France_, that proper
Directions should be drawn up to defend our selves from such a Calamity;
I most readily undertook the Task, though upon short Warning, and with
little Leisure: I have therefore rather put down the _principal Heads of
Caution_, than a _Set of Directions in Form_.

THE _first_, which relate to _the performing Quarantaines_, &c. You, who
are perfectly versed in the History of _Europe_, will see are agreeable
to what is practised in other Countries, with some new Regulations. _The
next_, concerning the _suppressing Infection here_, are very different
from the Methods taken in former Times among _Us_, and from what they
commonly do _Abroad_: But, I persuade my self, will be found agreeable
to Reason.

I MOST heartily wish, that the wise Measures, the _Government_ has
already taken, and will continue to take, with Regard to the _former