SELBORNE, _Jan._ 8_th_, 1778.
Dear Sir,--There was in this village several years ago a miserable
pauper, who from his birth was afflicted with a leprosy, as far as we are
aware of a singular kind, since it affected only the palms of his hands
and the soles of his feet. This scaly eruption usually broke out twice
in the year, at the spring and fall; and, by peeling away, left the skin
so thin and tender that neither his hands nor feet were able to perform
their functions; so that the poor object was half his time on crutches,
incapable of employ, and languishing in a tiresome state of indolence and
inactivity. His habit was lean, lank, and cadaverous. In this sad
plight he dragged on a miserable existence, a burden to himself and his
parish, which was obliged to support him till he was relieved by death at
more than thirty years of age.
The good women, who love to account for every defect in children by the
doctrine of longing, said that his mother felt a violent propensity for
oysters, which she was unable to gratify; and that the black rough scurf
on his hands and feet were the shells of that fish. We knew his parents,
neither of which were lepers; his father in particular lived to be far
advanced in years.
In all ages the leprosy has made dreadful havoc among mankind. The
Israelites seem to have been greatly afflicted with it from the most
remote times, as appears from the peculiar and repeated injunctions given
them in the Levitical law. Nor was the rancour of this foul disorder
much abated in the last period of their commonwealth, as may be seen in
many passages of the New Testament.
Some centuries ago this horrible distemper prevailed all Europe over: and
our forefathers were by no means exempt, as appears by the large
provision made for objects labouring under this calamity. There was a
hospital for female lepers in the diocese of Lincoln; a noble one near
Durham; three in London and Southwark; and perhaps many more in or near
our great towns and cities. Moreover, some crowned heads, and other
wealthy and charitable personages, bequeathed large legacies to such poor
people as languished under this hopeless infirmity.
It must, therefore, in these days be to a humane and thinking person a
matter of equal wonder and satisfaction, when he contemplates how nearly
this pest is eradicated, and observes that a leper now is a rare sight.
He will, moreover, when engaged in such a train of thought, naturally
inquire for the reason. This happy change, perhaps, may have originated
and been continued from the much smaller quantity of salted meat and fish
now eaten in these kingdoms; from the use of linen next the skin; from
the plenty of better bread; and from the profusion of fruits, roots,
legumes, and greens, so common in every family. Three or four centuries
ago, before there were any enclosures, sown-grasses, field-turnips, or
field-carrots, or hay, all the cattle which had grown fat in summer, and
were not killed for winter use, were turned out soon after Michaelmas to
shift as they could through the dead months; so that no fresh meat could
be had in winter or spring. Hence the marvellous account of the vast
stores of salted flesh found in the larder of the eldest Spencer in the
days of Edward II., even so late in the spring as the 3rd May. It was
from magazines like these that turbulent barons supported in idleness
their riotous swarms of retainers ready for any disorder or mischief. But
agriculture is now arrived at such a pitch of perfection that our best
and fattest meats are killed in the winter, and no man need eat salted
flesh, unless he prefers it, that has money to buy fresh.
One cause of this distemper might be, no doubt, the quantity of wretched
fresh and salt fish consumed by the commonalty at all seasons as well as
in Lent, which our poor now would hardly be persuaded to touch.
The use of linen changes, shirts or shifts, in the room of sordid and
filthy woollen, long worn next the skin, is a matter of neatness
comparatively modern, but must prove a great means of preventing
cutaneous ails. At this very time woollen, instead of linen, prevails
among the poorer Welsh, who are subject to foul eruptions.
The plenty of good wheaten bread that now is found among all ranks of
people in the south, instead of that miserable sort which used in old
days to be made of barley or beans, may contribute not a little to the
sweetening their blood and correcting their juices, for the inhabitants
of mountainous districts to this day are still liable to the itch and
other cutaneous disorders, from a wretchedness and poverty of diet.
As to the produce of a garden, every middle-aged person of observation
may perceive, within his own memory, both in town and country, how vastly
the consumption of vegetables is increased. Green-stalls in cities now
support multitudes in a comfortable state, while gardeners get fortunes.
Every decent labourer also has his garden, which is half his support, as
well as his delight; and common farmers provide plenty of beans, peas,
and greens, for their hinds to eat with their bacon; and those few that
do not are despised for their sordid parsimony, and looked upon as
regardless of the welfare of their dependents. Potatoes have prevailed
in this little district by means of premiums within these twenty years
only, and are much esteemed here now by the poor, who would scarce have
ventured to taste them in the last reign.
Our Saxon ancestors certainly had some sort of cabbage, because they call
the month of February "sprout-cale;" but long after their days the
cultivation of gardens was little attended to. The religious, being men
of leisure, and keeping up a constant correspondence with Italy, were the
first people among us that had gardens and fruit-trees in any perfection
within the wall of their abbeys and priories. The barons neglected every
pursuit that did not lead to war or tend to the pleasure of the chase.
It was not till gentlemen took up the study of horticulture themselves
that the knowledge of gardening made such hasty advances. Lord Cobham,
Lord Ila, and Mr. Waller, of Beaconsfield, were some of the first people
of rank that promoted the elegant science of ornamenting without
despising the superintendence of the kitchen quarters and fruit walls.
A remark made by the excellent Mr. Ray, in his "Tour of Europe," at once
surprises us, and corroborates what has been advanced above; for we find
him observing so late as his days, that, "The Italians use several herbs
for sallets, which are not yet, or have not been but lately, used in
England, viz., _selleri_ (celery), which is nothing else but the sweet
smallage; the young shoots whereof, with a little of the head of the root
cut off, they eat raw with oil and pepper;" and further adds: "curled
endive blanched is much used beyond seas; and for a raw sallet, seemed to
excell lettuce itself." Now this journey was undertaken no longer ago
than in the year 1663.