nd almost models, while France is
declared far in advance of England, although these were the days of the
Bastille! He also journeyed into Switzerland and again made a survey of
the jails of England and Wales. Feeling at last that he had sufficient
material he returned to England and began upon his book. For eight
months he labored incessantly upon this work, correcting proofs,
collating and arranging statistics, etc., although for the literary part
he was obliged to call in the assistance of some of his learned friends,
who, better than he understood the use of the king's English.

This book made a most profound sensation throughout the civilized world.
That it might reach a more extended circulation, it was sold at less
than the cost of production, and large numbers were given away among the
officials. All this expense was borne by Howard out of his own private
purse, as were at all times his immense and constant outlay in travel.
Not only his whole private income, but the fortune of L15,000 received
from his only sister at her death, was expended in the same manner.

Subsequently Howard published a second volume, in 1780, as an appendix
to the first, and in 1784 a third and last, which was a compilation of
the first two, with much added material acquired during his continuous
travels over every part of Europe.

[Illustration: Howard relieving a Prisoner.]

During the earlier and idler parts of his life, Howard had been pleased
to dabble somewhat in medicine, after the manner of the gentlemen of his
time. This stood him in good part upon his travels, and made him
familiar with the various forms of disease that especially afflicted
prisons and the people at large. For jail fever and typhus he rightly
judged that the sanitary and food conditions were sufficient cause and
attacked them from this basis. But having in a measure finished his jail
and prison work, to his mind, he became possessed with the idea that he
might search out and find a remedy for the dreadful _plague_ that was
filling all Europe with dismay. The methodical habit of the man's mind
is evidenced by noting that he followed exactly the same method in this
as in his former undertaking, namely, personal investigation and
experience. He left home in July, 1789, and it is surprising that for
six months he literally lived in the poisonous atmosphere of the
pest-houses, pest-ships, and lazarettos of Europe, and escaped
contagion. In January, 1790, however,