patients to partial currents of cold air, prevents nature from doing any thing towards the cure.

The type of the disease, being duly attended to, will indicate the quantity, and nature of the evacuations neceffary to facilitate revulfion; and it is fafely and effectually completed, by a careful continued courfe of fudorifics, kept up in extent proportioned to the disease.

Thus have I communicated what I conceive to be the general caufe of the dyfentery of the Weft-Indies, which has been fo deftructive to the troops and entered into a fhort difquifition of its nature, and explained the method I have followed in its cure.I have avoided the detail of minute defcriptions, circumstances, and par ticular cafes, as not coming within my defign; which is, to explain my method of cure, applicable to the cause I have affigned of this disease, and comprised in the following confiderations; that the dyfentery is a fever of the inteftines; that the cause is oba Atructed perfpiration; and that the cure is in calling back the circulation to the furface of the body, and increafing the fenfible perfpiration by the most active sudorifics.

curing hands to take up my lent or fummer corn in the method ufually practifed in this county, that is, by forking the fwarths into cocks, and raking the ground with hand-rakes by women. Men are generally employed in forking it. It therefore occurred to me that an inftrument might be made to anfwer the purpose of raking it by hand. I knew the Norfolk method of doing it by drag-rakes (as they are called), drawn by men; but the men were wanting elsewhere. I had often feen a horfe-fake, made for gathering the gramen canine or couch grafs together upon fallow lands, and knew a farmer who had used it for his mown wheat ftubbles; but this rake being drawn from the end of the beam by the horse, dragging the ends of the teeth upon the ground collected fuch quantities of weeds, grafs, earth, and ftones with it, as nearly to render the corn of no value; be. fides, it could not be used for clafe-mown ftubbles at all. Hav ing for many years used the Norfolk ploughs here, I thought a rake might be fo conftructed as to go on the breaftwork of one of thefe ploughs in the fame manner as the plough itself is used.

I therefore had one made nine feet and a half long, and the teeth fix inches afunder. Upon applying it in the place of the plough on the breaft-work, I found it answered extremely well, except that when it met with any confiderable obftruction at one end, it drew the other end aflant. Το remedy this inconvenience, I took away the pillar (the part of the breaft-work that the beam refts upon, and which is raifed higher,

H

or

or let down lower, to fink or raise the plough), and had another made to extend about a foot or rather more beyond the outfides of the ftandards, and from each end of the chain, made to let out or take up at pleasure, to each end of the pillar; this kept the rake even and steady. To my great fatisfaction, I found it fucceed even beyond my expectation; for by means of this breaft-work, it could, like the Norfolk plough, be inftantly set up or let down to the greatest degree of nicety; fo that any stubble, whether cut high or low, whether very full of grafs or clover, or quite clean, might be raked by it with equal facility; for the teeth being made very much curved, the lower part of the back of the teeth rests upon the ground, and the points ftand out of it. The weight of the rake preffes the teeth close to the ground, and the corn is gathered into the throat of the rake, without digging up the weeds or the foil. The teeth are made fufficiently strong to prevent their bending. I have found a rake of the length above-mentioned very manageable; whether it would do better if made longer muft be left to future experiments. I was determined to this length by the breadth of our gate-ways, being juft enough to admit it through them without taking it to pieces.

For perfons who want to remove it to a diftant part, two fmall wheels might be added, to put on occafionally at the ends, to raife the teeth from the ground as it is drawn along the road.

Iam fenfible, that if a low wheel were fixed at each end, even when in its work, it would greatly lef

fen the friction, and the horse would draw it the easier; but it would render it more complex and, perhaps, occafion it not to turn fo eafily at the ends of the land. I have, however, had it in idea, to fix fome kind of standard on the head of the rake for a line, like the Norfolk ploughlines, to come back to, that the man might guide the horse himfelf, and fave the expence of a boy to lead him; but to this there seem to arife fome objections.

One horse, and a boy to lead him, with a man to clear the rake, will easily rake twelve acres of ftubble in a day; and if two horfes are taken into the field, or be used alternately, twenty acres might be raked in the fame time; but this would be hard work for the man.

The manner of ufing it is as fol

lows:

The rake being put on the breast-work of the Norfolk plough in the fame manner as the ploughs are, the horse draws it with the fame traces, &c. (only in the▾ plough two horfes are ufed, and here but one) and being fet into its work to a proper height, according as the ftubble is long or fhort, the boy leads the horse acrofs the ridges, the corn being previously put in cocks by the forkers; the man follows the rake, and when it is filled, he fpeaks to the boy who ftops the horse, and puts him back a ftep or two. This is done that the man, by drawing the rake back a little, may the more eafily and speedily free it from the corn; then lifting it up, and the horfe inftantly going on,

he

he drops the rake juft beyond the ridge thus gathered together. This he repeats as often as it is full, till he reaches the end of the land. Then he turns, and, coming back by the fide of the part raked, empties the rake adjoining to the other. By this means the raked corn lies in strait rows acrofs the field, and, when dry, is turned if neceffary, gathered up, and carried away.

I am fatisfied it might alfo be advantageously employed in raking upland hay-ground, and all forts of feed clover-land.

It may not be amifs to mention, that in the first rake I made, the teeth were only three inches afunder. I foon found they were too clofe. Taking, therefore, every other one out, I made another fix inches afunder:-the holes in the first not being filled up, the teeth might, if neceffary, be replaced, and then would be thick enough to rake any gentleman's lawn which is kept frequently mown.

I make no apology for this trouble-my intention fhall plead my excufe; and therefore only add, that I am, your obedient humble fervant,

GEORGE BOSWELL.

cattle is. The confiderable advantages they reap from them when free from accidents, and the loffes they fuffer when diftempers fpread among their herds, are fufficient motives to make them feel the intereft they have in preferving their cow-houses, ftables, &c. from the infection, and in ufing all poffible means to prevent its progrefs. But as fatal experience has proved that the use of medicines, with the powers of which they were not well acquainted, has been frequently more prejudicial than falutary in the Epizooty; and that country people, by placing an unlimited confidence in pretended specifics, purchased at a very high price, have very often been drawn into a double lofs, by the death of their cattle, as well as the expence of fuch drugs; it is thought the communication of an efficacious and cheap manner of treating cattle when attacked by this diftemper, and of the means to prevent their being fo, will be rendering an ellential fervice to the public.

The moment they perceive any fymptoms of the diffemper, they fhould immediately take about a pint and a half of blood from the beaft, except he has been illa day or two, in which cafe he must not be let blood; but in both cafes let the following draught be given:

No. 1

An ounce of the best theraic (Venice treacle) diffolved in a pint of vinegar, after which the back bone and the whole hide must be well rubbed with a dry hair cloth, to heat the hide and promote perfpiration. No drink fhould be given him but a white drink, compofed of

H 2

No.

No. 2. A handful or two of rye-meal in a pailful of clear water; and, fhould the beaft feem to want food, mix up fome crumbs of rye-bread with fome of the faid white drink, and give it him. The animal's mouth must be washed twice a day with a cloth dipped in a mixture of

No. 3. Vinegar and water (equal quantity of each), with a fpoonful of honey to a pint of it. If on the fecond day the beaft has not dunged, a clyfter, compofed of

No. 4. A pint of water in which bran has been boiled, two fpoonfuls of falt, and a fmall glafs of vinegar, must be given and repeated every day till the evacuations are natural and regular.

Befides the above remedies, the following cordial mixture:

No. 5 A pint of clear water, the fame quantity of vinegar, four fpoonfuls of honey or fyrup, and two glaffes of brandy,-must be given four times a day to facilitate and keep up perfpiration; taking particular care to repeat the friction as directed above.

Should the beaft ftill continue low and heavy, the draught No. 1. must be repeated, unless he fhould be found to be ho and thirsty, in which cafe, ufe only the drink No. 2. On the fourth day, if he feems more lively and free from heat, purge him with,

No. 6. Two ounces of falts, and one ounce of common falt, diffolved in a pint of lukewarm water, with two fpoonfuls of honey. If this does not procure four or five evacuations, repeat the clyfter the fame day.

This mode of treatment must be continued without intermiffion till

the beaft begins to eat, then you muft only give him the white drink No. 2, and a little good fodder, or, fome rye-bread dipped in ftale beer, moderately fweetened with honey or syrup.

The exterior treatment confifts in the application of fetons in the beginning of the distemper, at the bottom of the dew-lap, and of cauteries towards the horns, between which fome weight must be fixed, fuch as, a ftone of a pound weight, or more, wrapt up in a cloth, to keep it fteady. This is neceffary to keep the head warm. But above all, the friction must be closely attended to, in order to determine the critical efforts of

nature.

It would be well also to evaporate vinegar in the cow-house, &c. and if it could be done without rifque, blowing off a few grains of gun-powder, twicea-day in them, would be a very useful fumigation.

If, notwithstanding these aids, the beast be not perfectly cured in ten or twelve days, they must be continued without bleeding, unlefs the inflammation be very confiderable; but if, after all, the diffemper does not give way, the beaft must be killed, and then too much care cannot be taken to bury it very deep; cover it over with the earth which came out of the hole, and a turf over all, in order to prevent the putrid vapours, which exhale from fuch carrion, corrupting the air and spreading the infection.

As to the prefervatives from infection, the principal, after having taken every precaution poffible to prevent its communication from other herds, confists in wafh