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"Befides thefe accounts of the gold found in Ireland, the following information has been received on that fubject.

"William Moiefworth, efq. of Dublin, in a letter to Richard Molefworth, efq. F.R.S. writes, that he weighed the largest piece of gold in his balance, both in air and water; that its weight was 20 oz. 2 dwts. 21 gr. and its fpecific gravity, to that of fterling gold, as 12 to 18. Alfo that Richard Kirwan, efq. F.R.S. found the fpeeific gravity of another fpecimen to be as 13 to 18. Hence, as the gold was worth 4 an ounce, Mr. William Molefworth concludes, that the fpecimens are full of pores and cavities, which in

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On PLICA POLONICA; by Mr. FREDERIC HOFFMAN, SURGEON to the PRUSSIAN ARMY.

[From the MEMOIRS of the LITERARY and PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY of MANCHESTER, Vol. IV. Part II.]

"D

ISEASES, the tendency of which is fatal, and the occurrence frequent, peculiarly claim the attention of the practical phyfician; while morbid affections, which ap. pear more rarely, and prefent unufual phænomena, more efpecially attract the enquiries of those whofe object is the extenfion of general fcience. The disease termed Plica Polonica is of the latter clafs. It is endemic in Poland, and feldom, if ever, obferved in any other part of Europe. During a long ftay at Breflau in Silefia, I had frequent opportunities of obferving this difeafe and, as it is at prefent little known in Britain, I trust a brief narration of the principal circumstances connected with it will not prove uninteresting.

"Both fexes are equally liable to the attacks of plica. It ufually appears during infancy; and but feldom after the age of twenty. When once produced, it continues during the remainder of life. The acceflion of the complaint is in general preceded by irregular fpafmodic affections, pains in different parts of the body, a flow fever, and various difeafes of the eyes; all which ceafe immediately on the appearance of the Plica.

"The diforder confifts in a præternaturally rapid growth of the hair, with a copious fecretion of a vifcid matter from its bulbs. For the most part, the hairs of the head are alone affected; and that only in peculiar parts. In these, the hairs grow confiderably longer than

one-third of their hairs: I learned from them, that their father and grandfather had alfo been affected with the disease in a form exactly

in the reft; and are knotted and entangled with each other; being alfo covered with the vifcid matter which iffues from their roots, and which affifts in gluing them toge-milar. ther.

"In proportion as the quantity of this gluten, and the implication of the hair increases, it is ftill more and more difficult to clean and comb it; hence a degree of phthirials is produced, and the head contracts an extremely fætid fmell, to which, however, the Polish peafants are fo much accustomed, that they endure it without complaint, or any manifeft inconveni

ence.

"It is alfo an opinion univer, fally prevalent with them, that the difeafe is a falutary effort of nature to expel a morbid matter from the body; and that to interrupt the courfe of it would be productive of imminent danger; hence, they make no attempt to cure, or even palliate the complaint. And, if we may repofe confidence in authors of established reputation, morbid affections of a fimilar nature to those which precede its occurrence, paralyfis, and even death itfelf, have fucceeded imprudent attempts to check the progrefs of the difeafe. In this refpect, plica bears fome analogy to the exanthemata, and various chronic cutaneous eruptions.

"I am as yet unable to decide whether this complaint is hereditary or not. From fome obfervations indeed it appears, that a predifpofition to it may be tranfmitted from parents to their offfpring; but my information on this head is too limited to afcertain the point. In one cafe which fell under my own obfervation, two brothers had plica, both on the left fide of the head, and in about

"Befides the human fpecies, other animals are fubject to this complaint. It appears in fome of the finest horfes in Poland. In them it is situated in the mane, and fometimes in the long hairs around the hoof and fetlock joint. It at tacks alfo the different fpecies of the canine genus; dogs, wolves, and foxes. Previous to its occurrence in the first, the symptoms of rabies ufually appear: the tail is dropped between the hind legs, there is a flow of frothy faliva from the mouth, the fight and appetite are impaired, or entirely loft; they are fnappifh, and difpofed to bite, but their bite does not produce hydrophobia. The wolf is affected in the fame manner: he leaves his wonted concealments in the woods, and runs wildly among the flocks, biting, and deftroying them, but without producing hydrophobia.

"The impoffibility of afcertaining the true causes of this fin. gular disease has given rife to feveral vague conjectures on the fubject; as that of Le Fontaine, who attributes it to a corruption of the fat.

"It is fomewhat remarkable, that plica takes place only among the lower clafs of people; whence fome have conceived, that it is to be confidered merely as a confequence of uncleanliness.

"But, in objection to this opinion, it may be urged, that it is unknown in the adjoining countries fubject to the Pruffian government, where the peafants are habituated to the fame cuftons and mode of life, or nearly the fame as in Poland

that its appearance affords evi.

dent

dent relief to the fyftem, and its retroceflion is productive of dangerous confequences. The idea, that it is a real and idiopathic difeafe, is confirmed alfo by its occurrence in a variety of animals, and by the circumftance of its being confined to particular parts of the head; for which no reafon can be affigned on the former fuppofition, "A peculiarity of climate çan not be adduced as a cause of this disease. Poland differs little in this refpect from the adjoining countries. The fummer heat is confiderable, the thermometer rifing frequently to 98°, 100°, 104°, and the cold in winter fo great, that, it falls fometimes 10, 15 degrees below o. But though the changes in the atmosphere are fo remarkable, at different periods of the year, they take place with the utmost regularity, the temperature paffing, by infenfible degrees, from one extreme to the other.

"The Poles themselves are a vigorous hardy race; inured from infancy to labour, and to expofure

to the viciffitudes of the atmofphere; almoft regardless of cold, they frequently fleep in the open air. Their diet confifts chiefly of animal food, and they are much addicted to the ufe of fpirits. They have an equal fondness for other ftrong ftimulating liquids. I have feen them drink, with the greatest pleasure, the falt brine in which herrings have been preferved, and even nitrous acid, diluted with water.

"Since no other caufe can be affigned for this disease, it is probable that it arifes, according to the general opinion, from contagion; a contagion which, like that of pfora, can be communicated by contact only; but this I have not been able to afcertain by any obfervations of my own.

"It is faid, however, by authors of reputation, that plica is frequent in Tartary; and that it was brought into Poland in the thirteenth century by the Tartars, who at, that period made frequent irruptions into the eastern parts of Europe."

ACCOUNT of the LYNX of ABRUZZO.

[From the TRAVELS through VARIOUS PROVINCES of the KINGDOM of NAPLES, in 1789, by CHARLES ULYSSES, of SALIS MARSCHLINS, tranflated from the German, by ANTHONY AUFRERE, Efq.]

"A

LTHOUGH Buffon and Schreber have given us very good accounts of the lynx, the naturalift will probably not be difpleafed at receiving fome information about the fpecies of lynx peculiar to the provinces of A. bruzzo. It is frequently met with in the woods of Abruzzo Ultra, where it is called Il Gatto Pardo, and is fmaller than a fort that is not frequent amongst the Grifon

mountains, and which precifely refembles the fpecies given in Buffon's Natural History, part xix, plate 21, French, octavo-and in Schreber's Sucking Animals, part iii, pl. 109, page 408. But the lynx of Abruzzo is of a darker colour, is from eighteen to twenty inches. high, and from twenty-four to twenty-feven inches in length, to the root of the tail, which is four inches long. The male is larger

than

than the female. The colour is whitish, with fpots like ftars, of a reddifh yellow, inclining to a yellow gold colour. The hair is fhort and foft, the head large, and like a tyger's, with longith upright ears, terminated by a tuft of coarfe, hard, and upright briftles. The eyes are large, and the teeth, claws, and whiskers, are long and fharp. Had I been fortunate enough to procure a dead one, I could give a much more complete description; but I could not fucceed in my endeavours. The actions of this animal exactly resemble those of a cat, like which it fits, runs, fprings, eats, purrs, and fleeps; although all thefe actions are in proportion to its fuperior fize. It is eafily tamed; and the baron Tomasetti affured me that it ran about the house like a cat, was much attached to them, and was in no wife inconvenient, except from its extraordinary curiofity. Not a corner in the houfe, nor a moveable therein, remained unvifited; and a female loft its life by jumping down the hole in the privy, I was furprised to find that the domeftic cat had an infuperable averfion to this animal; and I was affured, that the moment a lynx was brought into the houfe, all the cats difappeared, and were feen no more during that animal's abode there. The lynx bears the privation of its freedom only fo long as it is allowed to wander about the houfe; all those which the baron fent to the royal menagerie having foon died of excefs of fat, which was the cafe with that I faw there, and which alfo appeared extremely mefancholy. The lynx of Abruzzo is unquestionably the moft fwift, fubtle, and audacious beaft of prey in Italy. It only wanders about in the night, and never is feen in the day, unlefs when in heat, or in

1

fearch of provifion for its young It feeds upon all kinds of mice moles, martins, ferrets, hares, badgers, otters, and even fheep and goats; neither are tame and wild fowl fafe from its attacks. It watches for its prey, either upon the ground, or between the branches of a tree, and ufually feizes it at the very first spring, even though it be on full speed; and from its ambufcade amongst the branches, it successfully darts upon birds that are upon the wing. When it has killed fuch a large animal as a wild boar, or a roe-buck, it first fucks the blood out of the arteries, which feems to be its favourite food; after which it devours the foft parts of the head, neck, fhoulders, and legs, together with the entrails, and leaves the remainder. When it fails in procuring a live animal, it contents itself with vegetables, or gratifies itself with all kinds of fruit. Its favourite place of abode is amongst thick and extenfive forefts, and in folitary diftricts, where it makes its retreat in hollow trees, or in holes and clefts in the rocks. It pairs only once a year, at the beginning of spring; and contrary to the custom of cats, which celebrate their nuptials with hideous cries, it remains perfectly filent. The female goes two months, and then brings forth two young ones, which are generally of different fexes. She fuckles them during two months; and the young ones require two years to grow, and be fit for pairing. It has been obferved here, that the lynx generally attains the age of twenty years. Sociability appertains not to its qualities, and more than one couple are rarely found in a diftrict. Like all creatures upon earth, this also has its enemies, and is purfued by men, dogs, wolves, and large

fnakes.

fnakes. Flight is its first object; but when it is deprived of the means of escape, and is attacked and wounded, it defends itself against every defcription of enemy, with fuch fury and dexterity, that it is feldom overcome but by numbers of beafts, or the fuperiority of human fagacity. The lynx not only feeds occafionally upon the bodies of dead men, but even attacks children, and devours them. This animal is feldom to be taken alive, except whilft very young, when it is frequently found playing upon the grafs near the trees, or ftraying about the country in queft of its mother. It is fometimes taken in traps, but is generally fhot. The attachment fubfifting between a couple is remarkable: for when one lies dead upon the ground, and the hunters have retired to a certain distance, the other approaches its comrade, looks at it, goes round it,

lies down by it,goes away, and returns feveral times, until it appears to have loft all hope of its being only afleep. The lynx furnishes man with a very warm and useful fkin; and fome profit arises from its fat and gall.

"From what has been faid, I think that the lynx of Abruzzo may be claffed under the fpecies which Schreber calls the lynx-cat. It is indeed fmaller, and has very diftin&t spots; but that which I faw at Naples did not furpafs our's in brilliant colours, and differs from it in nothing but in its production of only two young ones. Elian's account of the lynx correfponds fo exactly with the one above defcribed, that I am inclined to fuppofe him not unacquainted with that fpecies. As Pliny fpeaks of no lynxes in Italy, it may be prefumed that in his time none exifted there."

Of the CULTIVATION of the OLIVE TREE, and the PROCESS of making OIL in the NEIGHBOURHOOD of GALLIPOLI.

"TH

[From the fame Work.]

HE olive-tree is here propagated, either by grafting, by flips, or by runners from the mafter roots, which in fome places are called Barbatelle.

"They graft upon the wild olivetree, which abounds upon the paftures, where old and half decayed trunks give reafon to fuppofe that olive plantations formerly exifted. This operation is performed between the end of March and the beginning of May; in three years fruit is produced; and this is the quickeft method of producing it.

"The fecond mode is here called Culmonare. Between November

and March, the branch of a bearing tree, from four to feven palms long, and from two to three inches thick, is flipped off, and put into a hole which had been dug fome time before. The earth is then heaped up around the branch, within a foot of the top, in order that it may remain perfectly frefl; and in ten years it becomes a profitable tree.

"The third method, here called Mazarelare, confifts in planting very fmall fhoots, at a proper diftance, in ground previously prepared. They are carefully watered during fummer, and tranfplanted the third year; but it is only at the

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