An experimental enquiry concerning the causes which have generally been said to produce putrid diseases / By William Alexander.

  • Alexander, William, -1783.
Date:
1771
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An experimental enquiry concerning the causes which have generally been said to produce putrid diseases / By William Alexander. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ ^ ] puzzled in accounting for putrid ma^ lignant diforders, that feveral have deduced them from earthquakes, the poifon emitted from ferpentlj and other caufes ftill more ridiculous*. As we arc conftantly farrounded with the air, as it is conftantly enter¬ ing into our lungs, has fuch a variety of particles floating about in it, and is fubjeft to fo many fudden mutations, many have fuppofed that, from the nature of thofe particles and muta- tions, putrid difeafes have frequently had their origin f. I fhall examine thefe caufes fepa- ratejy, with a view to difcover by ex- periments, whether any one of them is of itfelf able to produce any of thofe difeafes that are generally denomi¬ nated putrid and malignant, or whe¬ ther fuch difeafes do not rather com¬ monly depend on a concourfe of * Kircher de caus. peft. t Plin. Hift. Nat. feveral