It is with the greatest Pleasure we enter upon the Method of preventing, tho’ not of curing this insidious Enemy of Mankind, which very justly has filled the World with Fear and Horror. For this Reason, and that Matters may proceed not only in greater Order, but also with greater Truth, Dr. Mead has gone through much Philosophy and Theory in Medicine, with great Labour and Fatigue; even to fainting away, despairing often in doing any thing to his own Satisfaction, knowing by much Experience, that the World is not so hard to please.

And therefore, he begins this second Part, by telling us, how great a Satisfaction it is, to know that the Plague is no Native of our Country. I hope he is satisfy’d with this Conceit, but I am afraid few People find any new Assurance, and Courage, springing up in them, upon this Assertion; or that they can have a better Heart to face the Plague more boldly, if it should be our Misfortune to have a Visit from it at this time.

But in what Page does this Demonstration lie? He has only told us, hitherto, that the pure Air is only infected with pestilential Steams, that rise out of Bogs; or out of Men that have died of the Plague; or else that these Steams were packed up in Goods, and with them carried from one Country into another: and tho’ this be bravely told, without any Reason assigned for it; yet we know not where they first have their Origine, and of what Country they are Natives. We have seen an Original English Plague, that came from no Place in the World, and took up its Abode altogether here; and whether all the rest, that have afflicted our Island, are Natives or Foreigners, is nothing so clear, as to build any great Satisfaction upon. And therefore, I do think, with the Doctor, that all Means should be found out to keep our selves clear from it; tho’ we can find no great Encouragement from what he yet has told us.

This Caution, as he tells us, consists of two Parts: The preventing its being brought into our Island; and, The putting a stop to its spreading among us. But, as the Doctor has a very ill Memory, and seldom performs what he promises, give me leave to put him in mind of a Promise, in his Preface; that his Method will be different from that taken in former times among us, and from what they commonly do abroad: Tho’ we have no Encouragement to think, that it will prove agreeable to Reason.

The Doctor is very full on this first Head of Caution, and bestows no fewer than nine Pages about Quarantines, and Lazarettoes; but as there is nothing newer said of them than what has been known, these two hundred Years; I leave that Affair to the Civil Magistrate, whose Care can never exceed, when it’s employed for the Good of the People. But as far as we may depend upon the first, and Philosophical Part of this Discourse, there is no great Occasion for either of them: We live a great way from the South of France, and the Doctor has assured us, that the Plague cannot reach us, by some hundreds of Miles. For, to our Satisfaction be it remember’d, that Air it self is very pure and harmless; nor can it otherwise be infected, than by pestilential Steams issuing out of Bodies, at the end of the Disease; as also, that they cannot travel any length, if there is not a Disposition in the Air, which it only has when supposed. And therefore, we are very little obnoxious to a Plague, and consequently have no great Occasion for Lazarettoes or Quarantines.

I cannot omit, without incurring Displeasure, the pretty Expedient the Doctor recommends, for discovering when the Plague has forsaken a Parcel of Goods; and that because he might foresee a Question might arise, about the Time they should serve their Quarantine; and whether forty Days were sufficient. His Answer is fine! why; we must set little Birds upon the exposed Goods. But, may not the Attempt prove dangerous, and as dangerous as to set a lighted Match to a good large Barrel of Gun-powder. The Reason for this Experiment, is, because it has been observed in times of the Plague, that that Country is forsaken by the Birds; and for this he quotes Diemerbroeck.

How beautifully are such Presages related by Lucretius, Virgil, Ovid, and other Poets; but how insipidly are they misapplied on this Occasion. Physicians have carefully observed and recorded, every thing considerable and extraordinary that preceded the Pestilence; and that in order to provide themselves against it, and to give the Alarm of its first Approaches, that People may provide for their Safety in time. Some of these Presages are taken from the Heavens; some from the Air; others from the Earth; and many from the Waters.

But as the Consideration of those Presages do not fall properly in my way at this time; we proceed next to consider, how a stop is put to the Plague, in Case, through a Miscarriage in the Publick Care, by the Neglect of Officers, or otherwise, such a Calamity should be suffered to befal us.

And here we must observe, that this Art of Quarantines, and Lazarettoes, is so infallible, that we may blame the Civil Magistrate, and his Officers, if ever the Plague is suffered to come among us. For my part, I cannot think any Government so foolishly malicious to suffer a Plague to come into their Country, if they knew how to avoid it. But that we may not slightly bring an ill Report against Governors; the Physicians are to be blamed, when the Orders of the Civil Magistrate are hurtful; for he always takes Counsel with Physicians in all Matters, relating to Nature and Health: This has been the Practice in all Nations, and in all Times, since Mankind has been govern’d by Law; and if these wrong Measures are owing to the Ignorance of the true Nature of Contagion, surely it’s none of the Magistrate’s Business to discover it.

The Magistrate may contradict his former Orders, for any Thing that is better, at least not so pernicious, as those whereunto he was led by Physicians. But the Physicians in London might not have advised the shutting up of Houses, if they had remember’d the fatal Experiments of it in other Countries, recorded in Books of Physick. Mercurialis tells us, how the Houses were shut up in Milan on this Occasion, but that the Magistrates found their Mistake in a Week, and set them open again, very much to the Comfort of the Healthy, and Relief of the Sick. The same learned Author informs us, that burning infected Goods was found to do great Mischief in a Plague in Padua, and what then shall we think of our celebrated Physician, who ^[15]recommends this Method of Burning? ^[16]Quapropter, says the famous Mercurialis, non possum commendare eos, qui hisce temporibus infectas supellectiles in urbibus cremant, propterea quod, &c. We may surely say, that this Error is not only owing to his Ignorance of the true Nature of Contagion, but even of his Ignorance of what Physicians do Abroad.

I think the Doctor has made a little too free with the Civil Magistrate, and his Brethren of the Faculty; especially, that he has no where told us any Thing of the Nature of Contagion; not so much as what we may read in many Books of Physick. And therefore his further inveighing against Physick and Physicians, is the most surprizing, unaccountable Indiscretion that Man ever was guilty of: A Man that has done nothing, but to corrupt it: For thus he puts an End to a great deal of rambling Stuff, about shutting up Houses. ^[17]The Management in former Times neither answers the Purpose of discovering the beginning of the Infection, nor of putting a stop to it when discovered; other Measures are certainly to be taken, which I think should be of this Nature.

Here begins an Account of Things to be done in a new Manner, and what will be found agreeable to Reason. Imprimis, Then, instead of ignorant old Women, we ought to have understanding and diligent Men. There is nothing New in this, nor very Unreasonable; but as the Doctor has enhansed the whole Knowledge of Physick in his own Person, and made old Women of his Brethren, I hope he will allow these Officers of Health to consist of discarded Physicians. Secondly, When the sick Families are gone (whether?) all the Goods of the Houses, in which they were, should be burnt; nay, the Houses themselves, if that can conveniently be done. A very good Advice, and, I hope, the City of London will erect another Monument for the Doctor, after they have burned their City, upon so reasonable Advice. But as this Advice has been found hurtful in Experience, so neither is it New, because it has been practised Two Hundred Years ago; as I lately observed. He has now the late Fire of London in view, and recommends another general Conflagration of our City, from the great Good, he fancies, accrued thereby: But the Reason he brings is admirable. For nothing approaches so near to the first Original of Contagion, as Air pent up, loaded with Damps. This is the very Reason, why Hippocrates, and all other Physicians after him, have advised making Fires for preventing the Plague; neither spared they any Expence in Scents, sweet and aromatick Woods; and even they put sacred Things to that very Use. Yet, according to Custom, the Doctor ^[18]contradicts himself, on this Article, at the small distance of four Pages; where Fires again are condemned as pernicious. The Reason alledged for this later Experiment is absolutely false; for Dr. Hodges assures us, that the Weather was not Hot in that Summer. But, I believe, the true Reason of the Contradiction is, that the Doctor will, at any Time, venture being found in a Contradiction, three Doors off, as well as four Pages off, to save his Bacon, or for a merry Conceit. But there is, even in this, nothing New, for there was one Raymundus, who is noted for this Singularity by other Authors, whose Words our Doctor seems to translate. Pestilentes Febres, says Raymundus, Ardentes sunt, & idcirco ab aere fervido, & calente augentur. I must beg leave to crowd in another Conclusion, because I follow the Doctor; that as Fires are thus hurtful, so, and for that Reason, is the firing of Guns. The Word Fire is common in both Expressions, but it was never the Heat of great Guns, but their Noise that was recommended, and that is a sort of Wind, so much recommended formerly, by Dr. Mead; but what some have too rashly advised. Mira vis verbis.

But to return to Damps; he allows they approach the first Original of Contagion, so that if they are not the first, they may very well be the second Original of Contagion; for where there is a first, there is always a second in every Order and Number of Things. Now, as Fires are manifestly useful in the Damps of Coal Pits, and Goals, why not in the raw Damps of Contagion? And if that is a true Experiment, why does Dr. Mead forsake Hippocrates, and the antient Sages of Physick, for an Error that is not new; and, perhaps, not agreeable to Reason? And Ovid tells us, Temporibus Medicina valet. As to the Story of the Black Assize at Oxford, it shall not be carelessly neglected.

The last Member of Novelty mentioned, is the keeping our Houses and Streets clean from Filth, Carrion, and all manner of Nusances; and I hope every Body will readily admit, that this was never done before, neither here at Home, nor Abroad in other Countries; and I’ll swear for him, this Time, that it is highly necessary. His Inference is strong; for if all these new and reasonable Instructions take effect, there will be no need of any Methods, for Correcting the Air, Purifying Houses, or of Rules for Preserving particular Persons from Infection. Yet in this very instant there follows a fresh Contradiction, if I understand him; but least I do not, I shall give you his own Words, in order to be better inform’d. To all which, if the Plague get head, so that the Sick are too many to be removed, Regard must be had. Now, as far as I understand the Doctor, the Plague may get Head against all these infallible Methods, but I cannot for my Life tell, what we are to Regard; but as these Methods are both fallible and infallible, at the same Time, the Doctor has fallen into another gross Contradiction.

But, which is a more melancholy Story, this seems to be the whole of Preventing we have hitherto expected; so that all the Philosophy he brought forth, in the first Part of his Discourse, has only been to make us Constables and Scavengers, to set the Watch, and clean the Streets. A fine Account, indeed, of Preventing.

This Discourse never look’d as if it were to live long, its first Stamina were so rotten, and defective; and any one, with half an Eye, might see it would die of an Apoplexy, or first die and then have an Apoplexy, as the Fashion of Dying has been of late.

When I formerly observed the great Neglect of the Disposition and Aptness of a Subject to receive and cherish the Disease, I was then very much afraid that the celebrated Dr. Mead must suffer, when it was his Business to teach us how to preserve our selves from Infection; which has, at this Time, befallen him with a witness; for now our Security consists in the former. But if the Plague should chance to force his Lines, it is very plain, that we must surrender at Discretion to this most cruel Enemy. Our Generals taught the French, some Years ago, how slender a Defence Lines were; and the Plague has taught them, to their sad Experience, how insufficient they are to restrain its Violence; for it has nor only marched over their Lines in Defiance of their Guards, but even Eastwards and Southwards, to the Contempt of MatthÆus Villanus, and our Doctor, his zealous Follower.

But I am, again, afraid that the Case at present is much the same as it was in the beginning of his short Discourse; for he then proposed to treat of Contagion, but he quickly dropp’d it, without so much as telling us what is meant by the Word. Here now we should prevent, but he knows as little of this as he did formerly of Contagion: For when he ^[19]is to consider by what Means particular Persons may best defend themselves against Contagion; he adds, for the effectual doing of which it would be necessary to put the Humors of the Body into such a State, as not to be alterable by the Matter of Infection. What Physician ever said so before Dr. Mead? And if an Impossibility of this Nature was expected from the Faculty of Physick, I hope they would acknowledge and confess their Ignorance. It is the same Thing, as if the Government should expect, that Physicians are to cure the Subjects of any one Disease, so that they should never feel it hereafter; the Curative Part of Physick, in that Sense, must be as impossible as the Preservative. Mankind is more easy, and not only bears with what is not possible, but even with Blunders, that proceed from Ignorance and Stupidity. All that is expected from Physicians, is to have such Rules, whereby our Health may be secured to them, as far as it is consistent with Human Nature, and the known Means: And if Dr. Mead would have communicated some of those wise Rules, that are to be found in Books of Physick, even without deducing them from any Principle of Reason, he then had done them the greatest Good, and what they seem to want and desire.

That we may see, how little Doctor Mead understands the Method of Preventing, and also how practicable it is: We find Hippocrates values himself for being the first that foresaw a Disease; and he tells us, That ^[20]Diseases do not come upon Men of a sudden; but being collected by degrees, shew themselves afterwards in the bulk. And ^[21]Galen says, That all Physicians are agreed, that there must be some Time for breeding a Distemper. Now, if Diseases take a Time before they are bred; then it is an obvious Consequence, that Diseases may be prevented. Surely this is consonant to common Sense; for an Embryo Disease must be far more easily cured, than a Disease after it is formed, and settled upon any Person; and thereby his Strength, or Constitution, destroyed: For however Curative Method, and Preservative, are different Words, they only signify the same Thing at different Times. Curing a nascent Disease is preserving us from being hurt by it; and curing a settled Disease, where the Instruments of Action are hurt, is curing it in the common Acceptation.

And therefore our Doctor seems to have no manner of Notion of these Words, when he would tell us that it is as impossible to prevent the Plague; as to have a Specifick Preservative from the Small Pox; which we find is far from being impossible. But why a Specifick? Must he have a Specifick, because Dr. Anodyne Necklace has one? I cannot find any other Reason, especially, that it now plainly appears, and is evident, that curing a Disease, and preventing it, is the same Action, and may be done with the same Tools, whether they are Common, or Specifick, in the strictest Sense Physicians use those Words. This his Misunderstanding the Doctrine of Physicians is further manifest from the last Paragraph of his Discourse; that his Directions may be of Use towards establishing a better Method of Cure, than Authors have commonly taught, which might be true, if that Doctrine had been drawn from the Nature of Infection or Contagion; but, at present, he knows as little of the grammatical Sense of these Terms, as he does of the Things themselves.

Let us cease, then, to wonder why so great Care is had to keep our Houses cool, at Page 47, and so little for our Persons, at Page 49 of the Discourse; and in Consequence to that, we find more Receipts for a House than for a Man. He mentions Vinegar upon the Authority of Rhazes, which is no more for a Person that affects an Opinion for being learned, than if he had recommended it from Dr Hodges; since Physicians know, how much it has been esteemed by the most antient Physicians of Greece and Italy: But this its Virtue in the Plague of Pestilence is not contrary to what Authors advise, in making Fumes of hot Things on that Occasion. This is very manifest, if the Doctor will consider what the great Celsus has said of it.

But it will not be difficult to give a very probable Conjecture, why our Doctor gives so trifling, and contradictory Account of those Medicines, recommended for preserving us against the Plague; even, when there is not so great a Store for any other Disease, and some of them come well recommended for the Purpose of Preventing; if we remember the common Method of our Author through all this Book; for he constantly tells us, in the end of one Paragraph, what he offers to our Belief in the next. He has all along thrown mighty Contempt upon Physicians, when he would recommend himself; and now he disparages their Medicines; and surely, upon no other Design, but to set up his own. But what in the Name of Wonder are they? In this consists the great Mystery of State. If so, then there is an end of our wondering.

His Medicines are of two Sorts; one Set of them published in a very small Book, tho’ there is a large Account of their Virtues and Uses. There is a second Sort, which some worthy Gentlemen of great Families, and great Estates, have told us of, and these were the Secrets of an eminent Physician. But how do Gentlemen know Secrets in Physick? It is not hard to guess who were chiefly concern’d in their Information, and who have made a goodly Income from a pretended Inheritance to pretended Secrets. This is the Shrine of the great Diana, to which every Thing must not only submit, but for it every other Shrine must be removed, even Truth it self; so that we may quickly hear of Doctor R——f’s Secrets for the Plague, if it should be the Will of God to send it us for a Punishment of our Sins.

How easy a Matter is it to become a great Physician, but how difficult to a Man of Education and Honour? Hence it is that we find in all Times, tho’ never more than in the present, that Physick is the common Resort of all indigent Men, that no other Arts can provide with a Living. Here Doctor Rosary has made a better Market for his Beads, than ever was in any Roman Catholick Country, Spain and Portugal not excepted. At this Time too, he is among the chief Writers on the Plague, and with insufferable Assurance, dedicates that Trifle to the President of the College of Physicians, where, in the end, he tells the World, how useful his Necklace is for the Plague.

Amulets, indeed, have been in great Esteem in Times of the Plague, and I hope some great Physician will lend his Name to one, that may frighten away this terrible Disease.

Footnotes:

Page 6, ‘preceeded’ changed to ‘preceded,’ “Air to have preceded it”

Page 12, ‘suffient’ changed to ‘sufficient,’ “and self-sufficient Person that ever”

Page 17, ‘Philosophers’ changed to ‘Philosopher’s,’ “make the Philosopher’s Stone, and”

Page 27, italics removed from around ‘and,’ “Wool, Feathers, Hair, and Skins”

Page 33, ‘shown’ changed to ‘shewn,’ “to have shewn the Disposition”

Page 34, ‘succeding’ changed to ‘succeeding,’ “good Author of succeeding Ages”

Page 55, full stop changed to comma after ‘Women,’ “ignorant old Women, we ought to have”

Page 57, ‘tell’ changed to ‘tells,’ “And Ovid tells us”