M A - University of Limerick Institutional Repository

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the goal distemper, or by the general
nncieanliness of Such persons is uncertain
; o Since from ihe latter cauSe, it
will be eosv to account Sor its corruption
; estoecially aseit was So much vitiated
by the foul steams of the Bail-
Dock, and of the two rooms opening
into the court, in which the prisoners
were the whole day crouded ^ together,
till they were brought out to be tried :
and, it appeared afterwards that these
places had not bern cleaned Sor Some
years. The poisonous quality of the
air was still aggravated by the beat
and closeness as the court, and by the
perspirable matter of a great number
oS all Sorts os people. penned up Sor
the most part os the day, without
breathing the Sree ait, or receiving any
resreshment. The bench consisted of
fix person- whereof four died, together
with two or three of the Counsel,
one of the under sheriffs, several of the
Mi'dstaseX jurv and others present. to
the amount of above Sorty in the whole;
without making allowance tor those of
the lower rank, whoSe death may not
have bern heard of, or including any
that did nor sicken within a fortnight
after the said sessions.
^ 1 have been informed. that at the Sessions.
about a hundred were tried ; who were all
kept in those derse places as long as the court
lac. and that eaabeoom was but r4 soot bv
sr. and y font bigh. The ^uil Leek is also
a S.o all room taken from one of the corners
or the const, and less open at the top; in
whiasr. .faring the trials, are pot Some of the
malefactors. chat have hern also under the
esoSeiS e. ufinemerrr.
k It b dbeeu the custom, Some days besore
euery sellinns to remove all the ma'. fact. rs
fre.ew the other ga^Sa into .V.wgate already ton
moah erc.wd d. At soch time, ;ao may he
confined within that narrow space; and it is
wol. Sua.. wn haw nasty Ssoth this and all the
lest are kept.
I Sir .Vwwu 1 P uaaa t. ther ford mayor,
ford chief justice, rwojndge , Sir Thorns Ab-
uay. SSarou Carke, end ^rr D. Lmab.rf alder -
n ^
MAG A 2 IN E ^f M A G^ 1 N E
It is remarkable that the Lord ChieS
Justice and the Recorder, who Sat on
the Lord Mayor's right hand, eScaped,
whiht he himSeIS, with the rest of the
bench on bis lest, were seiaed with the
infection ; and that the alledllsec jury,
on the same side oS the court, lost fo
many, whilst the London jury, opposite
to them, received no harm ; and that
of the whole multitude, but one or two
or at most a Small number oS thole that
were on the fide of the court to the
mayor's right hand, were taken ill-
Some unacquainted with the dangerous
nature of putrid essiavia, have aScribed
both this circumstance, and the sickness
in general, to a cold taken by opening
a window, by which a stream of air
was directed to the side of the court on
the Lord Mayor's left hand : But it is
to be observed, that the window was
at the farthest and os the room from the
bench. tho' the judges Suffered moth
Neither could the krnd of the sever,
or the inurtabty attending it, be imputed
to any such cause It is therefore
probable, that the fresh air directed
the putrid steams to that part .is the
ce.urt abovemenlioned. This indeed
mult be granted, that all Sceptic pa. trclaa
pailinginto the blood. become more
active and fatal, if tire infected person
catches cold. or by any accident sailers
a stoppage of perspiration ; for a free
perforation is thecleief means by whreir
the blond is freed from any morbtiiek
matter of that kind.
e^. a^. ^s .^s ^ ^s e^e e^s a^, e