alled the =Holy
War=, at the latter end of the eleventh and the beginning of the twelfth
Century[2]. Ever since which time the morbific Seeds of it have been
preserved in the infected Cloaths and the Furniture of Houses: and have
broken out more or less in all Countries, according as the hot and moist
Temperature of the Air has favoured their Spreading and the Exertion of
their Force. The =Measles= is likewise a =Plague sui generis=, and owes
its Origin to the same Country.

I have now revised my little Work once more: and though I cannot find
any reason to change my Mind as to any material Points which regard
either the =Preventing= or the =Stopping= the Progress of =Infection=;
yet I have here and there added some new =Strokes= of Reasoning, and,
as the Painters say, retouch'd the =Ornaments=, and hightened the
=Colouring= of the =Piece=.

THE Substance of the long Preface to the last Edition is as follows.

I have insisted more at large upon the =Infection= of this Disease,
than I could ever have thought needful at this time, after =Europe= has
had Experience of the Distemper for so many Ages; had I not been
surprized by the late Attempts of some Physicians in =France= to prove
the contrary, even while they have the most undeniable Arguments against
them before their Eyes. In particular, I cannot but very much admire to
see Dr. =Chicoyneau=, and the other Physicians, who first gave us
=Observations= on the =Plague=, when at =Marseilles=, relate in the
=Reflections=, they afterwards published upon those Observations, the
Case of a Man, who was seized with the =Plague=, upon his burying a
young Woman dead of it, when no one else dared to approach the Body; and
yet to see them ascribe his Disease, not to his being =infected= by the
Woman, but solely to his Grief for the Loss of her, to whom he had made
Love, and to a =Diarrhoea=, which had been some time upon him[3]. No
question but these concurred to make his Disease the more violent; and
perhaps even exposed him to contract the =Infection=: but why it should
be supposed, that he was not =infected=, I cannot imagine, when there
was so plain an Appearance of it. I am as much at a Loss to find any
Colour of Reason for their denying =Infection= in another Case, they
relate, of a =young Lady= seized with the =Plague=, upon the sudden
Sight of a =PESTILENTIAL TUMOR=, just broke out upon her Maid; not
allowing any thing but the Lady's Surprize to be the Cause of her
Illne