"This variety of Lepra is most common "in children, and girls under the age of "fourteen. When it affects adults, the "site of the scaly patches is considerably "redder than the surrounding parts; and "the exfoliating scales have a smooth red glistening surface, which, in old cases, "is interrupted by fissures."(1)

It should appear from the history of this species that it is not originally a constitutional disease, but that, after long continuance, the constitution may become affected; and the Arabian and Greek physicians, on this account especially, draw a difference between this variety and those of a more virulent nature; such as the Lepra Nigricans, Lepra Vulgaris, and Tubercular Elephantiasis.

(1) Dr. Bateman on Cutaneous Diseases.

According to Dr. Willan, cold lowering diet, and the general causes of emaciation among the poor, especially those whose employment is of a dusty nature, such as chimney sweeps, dustmen, bricklayers, bakers, etc, are the remote causes of leprosy.

Here then, I think, we may trace some analogy with the history of the disease, as described in the Sacred writings; for we may conclude, that the species in question was confined to poor Hebrews, whose labours were similar to those of the persons above named, as appears evident from the fact that the persons of exalted stations, who are spoken of as diseased, are generally said to have been affected, not by this slighter variety which I am describing, but by those of the more virulent and contagious character. And this coincidence between the two diseases, is further proved by observing, that both in the Sacred writings

and according to modern experience, the scaly patches begin where the skin and bone are near each other; that is to say, in those places where there is but little muscle, as in the elbow, spine, ileum, shoulder blades, etc., and scarcely ever make a first appearance on the fleshy parts of the leg, or within the flexures of the joints; for there, it may be noticed, is generally a considerable portion, if not of muscle, at any rate of tendon and cellular membrane.

It is not a little remarkable in the history of this disease, that it is almost universally the case that both sides of the body are similarly affected, both as to extent and character.

In its progress, it is very unlike active inflammations of the skin, for its commencement is not attended by febrile symptoms, nor are the first affected parts the first to

heal; but after the disease has reached that âcme, which natural causes, or the intervention of medical means, permit, it declines equally over the whole body, and, generally speaking, those parts first affected, are the last to be quite recovered.

We may easily then identify with the history of this variety, that slighter leprosy, which, according to the Levitical code, is not unclean, and is there termed Boak.

The words of our translation run thus: "If a man also, or a woman, have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots, then the priest shall look, and behold if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white, it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin: he is clean." Dr. Good would thus render it: "If a man or a woman have in the skin of their flesh a berat, a white berat, then the priest shall look; and behold, if

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the berat in the skin of the flesh be dull, it is a boak growing in the skin: he is clean." If we only change the word Berat for leprosy, and instead of Boak, characterize the variety as being the dull white, and for the word clean, say it is not contagious, we reduce it to a just and intelligible English translation.

That the expression clean refers to its not being contagious is another argument to shew that the identity of the disease is confirmed in every particular. For, as this common leprosy is not contaminating, Moses decides it to be clean, as it is very evident from the tenor of the Jewish laws, which, at least, have every semblance of cleanliness and purity, that had this disease been other than the ordinary and uncontaminating leprosy, quarantine regulations, (so imperious on other occasions,) would have been put in effect.