



Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
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[Illustration:

  _Nitts_
  _one day Old_
  _3 days_
  _1 week_
  _2 weeks_
  _3 weeks_
  _4 weeks_
  _5 weeks_
  _6 weeks_
  _7 weeks_
  _8 weeks_
  _9 weeks_
  _10 weeks_
  _full grown Europeans_
  _full grown American_

  _G. VanderGucht sculp._
]




  A
  TREATISE
  OF
  BUGGS:

  SHEWING

  When and How they were first brought into _England_. How they are
  brought into and infect Houses.

  Their Nature, several Foods, Times and Manner of Spawning and
  Propagating in this Climate.

  Their great INCREASE accounted for, by Proof of the Numbers each Pair
  produce in a Season.

  REASONS given why all Attempts hitherto made for their Destruction
  have proved ineffectual.

  VULGAR ERRORS concerning them refuted.

  That from _September_ to _March_ is the best Season for their total
  Destruction, demonstrated by Reason, and proved by Facts.


Concluding with

  DIRECTIONS for such as have them not already, how to avoid them; and
  for those that have them, how to destroy them.


By _JOHN SOUTHALL_,

  Maker of the Nonpareil Liquor for destroying _Buggs_ and _Nits_,
  living at the _Green Posts_ in the _Green Walk_ near _Faulcon-stairs,
  Southwark_.


  The SECOND EDITION.

  _LONDON_: Printed for J. ROBERTS, near the _Oxford-Arms_
  in _Warwick-Lane_. M.DCC.XXX.

  (Price One Shilling.)




[Illustration]




TO

Sir HANS SLOANE, Bart.

  First Physician in Ordinary to His MAJESTY; President of the ROYAL
  SOCIETY, and also of the College of Physicians.


_SIR_,

Your ready Condescension to peruse the following Treatise, and to see
the Experiments of my Liquor, both in regard to its bringing out,
and destroying Buggs; as also that of its no ways staining Furniture;
was to me the happy Presage of your Favour, and Approbation of my
Performances.

The Satisfaction of having this Treatise and Experiments approv’d by
You, the Best of Judges, was to me the greatest Honour I could wish
for; but the additional one, confer’d by your introducing me to the
_Royal Society_, and there having not only their unanimous Approbation,
but yours and their Thanks for my Discoveries and Intent of publishing
them, was beyond my Hopes, and a Pleasure so great, as to be past
expressing; in regard that it dissipates all my Fears for its Success,
and makes me justly hope it will meet with a candid Reception from, and
be of general Benefit to the Publick.

As to your Goodness, I must ascribe the happy Prospect of its proving
so, Gratitude obliges me in this manner to acknowledge it; and to be,

      _Sir_,
    _Your Much-Obliged_,
  _And Most Obedient Servant_,

      JOHN SOUTHALL.




[Illustration]




  THE
  PREFACE.


_Being diffident of my own Performance, and desirous it should stand or
fall by the Opinion of the Best of Judges, was the Motive that induced
me to make my Application to that very Learned, truly Judicious and
commendably Curious Person to whom it’s dedicated: At the same time
determining, that if he approv’d of it, I would publish it; and if
he disapprov’d, that I would burn it. But it happily meeting his
Approbation, it now makes its Appearance in Print: Tho’ I must in
Justice to him acknowledge, it could not have so done so soon, nor
with such Embellishments, had he not only forwarded the Impression,
but directed and order’d the Copper-plate. As it has not only his
Approbation, but also, by his introducing it, the unanimous Concurrent
Approbation of (those great Encouragers of things useful) the Royal
Society; I hope it will not fail of meeting a kind Reception from the
Inhabitants in and about this Metropolis; by whom, as such a Treatise,
&c. was most wanted, for their Benefit and Ease it was at first chiefly
design’d._

_Tho’ with such Helps as it now has, I am not without Hopes that it may
extend its Qualities to distant infected Places._

_I should think it a Duty Incumbent on me, and would wait on the
Venerable Members of the aforesaid Society, present when my Manuscript
was read, personally to return them my Thanks for the Honours
conferr’d on me. But as the Names and Places of Abode of most are
unknown to me, I humbly beg they will accept this Acknowledgement of
them, by their_

  Obliged and Obedient Servant,

      JOHN SOUTHALL.

[Illustration]




[Illustration]




  A
  TREATISE
  OF
  BUGGS.


As Buggs have been known to be in _England_ above sixty Years, and
every Season increasing so upon us, as to become terrible to almost
every Inhabitant in and about this Metropolis, it were greatly to be
wished that some more learned Person than my self, studious for the
Good of Human Kind, and the Improvement of natural Knowledge, would
have oblig’d the Town with some Treatise, Discourse or Lecture on that
nauseous venomous Insect.

But as none such have attempted it, and I have ever since my return
from _America_ made their destruction my Profession, and was at first
much baffled in my Attempts for want, (as I then believ’d, and have
since found) of truly knowing the Nature of those intolerable Vermin:
I determined by all means possible to try if I could discover and
find out as much of their Nature, Feeding and Breeding, as might be
conducive to my being better able to destroy them.

And tho’ in attempting it I must own I had a View at private Gain, as
well as the publick Good; yet I hope my Design will appear laudable,
and the Event answer both Ends.

The late Learned and truly Valuable Dr. _Woodward_, to whom I first
communicated my Intent, not only approv’d the Design, but also the
Methods which, I told him, I design’d to pursue, to attain the desired
Effects: and at the same time was so good to give me some useful Hints
and Instructions, the better to accomplish an Affair, which he said
’twas his Opinion would be a general Good.

Not to make this Acknowledgement of his kind Assistance, would be
Ingratitude to my dear deceas’d Friend.

As I had his Approbation at the beginning, had he but liv’d till now,
I doubt not but the Discoveries I have made would have appear’d so
considerable and useful, as might have entitled me to his farther
Friendship and Assistance, in methodizing this Treatise for Publication.

But depriv’d of him, my first and greatest Encourager, I have ventur’d
to let it appear in the best Dress my Capacity will admit. Should the
Stile and my Manner of handling the Subject to be treated of, appear
uncouth and displease, I hope the Usefulness of it to the Publick will
make some amends for that Defect.

In treating on these Insects, some part of the Discourse may perhaps
at first View appear surprizing, if not incredible to the Readers:
But by giving them an account how I attain’d my Knowledge, and by
often reiterated Experiments prov’d them to be certain Facts, they
will soon alter their Opinion; and the whole, I hope, will not only
be acceptable, diverting and instructive to the Readers, but also
of universal Benefit to the Inhabitants in and about _London_ and
_Westminster_.

This Treatise being on a Subject as much wanted as any whatever, and
the Pains and Trouble I have taken to arrive at my Knowledge herein,
having been uncommon; it may be expected by the Curious, that I should
give some of the Reasons that first induced me to undertake a Discovery
so very difficult to appearance.

It may not therefore be unnecessary to acquaint such, that in the
Year 1726, my Affairs requiring my going to the _West-Indies_, I
had not been long there arrived, before, (the Climate not agreeing
with my Constitution) I fell sick, had a Complication of the Country
Distempers, lost the Use of my Limbs, and was given over by the best
Physicians at _Kingstown_ in _Jamaica_.

But, contrary to their Expectation, recovering a little, they advis’d
me to stay no longer in a Country, so prejudicial and dangerous to me,
than till I could get Shipping for _England_; and in the mean time
desired that as often as I was able, I would ride out for the Benefit
of the Air; which as soon as I had Strength enough, I did.

In one of my Journeys meeting with an uncommon <DW64>, the Hair or
(rather) Wooll on his Head, Beard, and Breast being as white as Snow,
I stopt my Horse to look on him; and he coming, as their way is, to
beg a little Tobacco, I gave it, and enquir’d if he had been always so
white-hair’d. He answer’d, no; but Age had made him so.

Observing that he moved briskly, had no Wrinkles, and all his Teeth,
I told him I could not believe him to be very old, at the same time
desiring to know his Age. His Answer was, he knew not himself; but
this he knew, that he was one of the first Slaves brought into that
Island, after the _English_ had taken it in _Oliver Cromwell_’s time,
and was then a great Boy.

By this account I judged, and might reasonably suppose him upwards of
ninety Years of Age.

Whilst we were in discourse, he perceiving me often rub and scratch,
where my Face and Eyes were much swelled with Bugg-Bites, asked if
Chintses, (so Buggs are by <DW64>s and some others there called) had
bit me? On my answering, yes; he said, he wonder’d white Men should let
them bite; they should do something to kill them, as he did.

This unexpected Expression excited in me a Curiosity to have farther
Discourse with him; and on my telling him, that for my part I should
be extreme glad to know how to destroy those Disturbers of my Rest,
and that if he would tell me how, I would give him some more Tobacco
and a Bit, (a Piece of _Spanish_ Money, there current at Seven-pence
Half-Penny:) On this he agreed to give me a Calibash full of Liquor,
which he said would certainly do it, following the Directions he gave
me.

Possess’d of this, well pleas’d I went home, and tho’ much fatigued, I
could not forbear using some of it before I went to sleep; and to my
surprize, the instant I applied it, vast Numbers did, (as he had told
me they would) come out of their Holes, and die before my face.

These I swept up, threw away, and went to Bed, and had much better Rest
than usual, not being Bugg-bit then, as I always was before.

But what added to my Satisfaction, and further surpriz’d me, was, that
when I got up I found many more had come out in the Night and were dead.

On this, I conceiv’d so great an Opinion of the Goodness and Usefulness
of this Liquor, that I was resolved to endeavour, and if possible to
prevail on him to teach me how to make it; well knowing so valuable
a Secret was much wanted, and would be highly useful, if I lived to
return to _England_.

In order to obtain it, I got some _English_ Beef, Pork, Biscuit and
Beer, and some Tobacco, believing those sooner than Money or any other
thing would procure from the <DW64>, what I so much wanted and desired.

The next day early I went, and finding my <DW64> in his Hutt, I asked if
he could dress me some Victuals. On his replying, yes, if he had it;
I open’d my Store-Bags, took out one Piece of Beef, some Biscuits and
a Bottle of Beer, taking care at the same time he should see the rest.
We eat a Biscuit, drank some Beer, and to dressing the Beef with some
Yams out of his Plantation, he eagerly went: all <DW64>s being greedy
of Flesh, when they can come at it; some of them not eating any for
many Years together, but live altogether on the Produce of the Earth.

Whilst he was intent on Cooking and in a good Humour, I took the
Opportunity of telling him, I had used and so well approved of his
Liquor, that if he would learn me how to make it, all the Victuals and
Tobacco in the Bags, and what Liquor we did not drink whilst I staid,
I would give to him, as a Recompence for the Favour.

At first he refused, believing me (as I found by his discourse) to be
a _Creolian_, whom the <DW64>s in general hate; but upon my convincing
him I was an _Englishman_, and returning home, the good Chear prevail’d.

After eating together, into the Woods and Savannahs we went, to gather
such of the Materials as grew not on his Plantation, or that he had not
by him; and returning to his Hutt, to making the Liquor he went.

I remark’d well, and set down the Names, Quantities, and his way of
making and mixing the Composition; which being done, all the Bottles we
emptied of Beer were fill’d with the Liquor; with which I return’d to
_Kingstown_, being as well pleas’d with my Discovery, as the <DW64> was
with my Presents.

Having thus obtain’d my most material Point, I could not yet forbear
going every time I rode out, to see and discourse my <DW64>, and never
went empty-handed, being desirous to try if I could discover any thing
further from him or of him, and how he attain’d the great Knowledge I
found he had in the medicinal Virtues of Roots, Plants, _&c._

He inform’d me, that during about fifty Years that he was a Slave (in
which time six of his Masters had died) he oft wish’d for Death, and
sought no means to preserve Life, and was then so infirm, as to be
thought by his seventh Master to be past labour; and having been a good
and faithful Slave, his said Master gave him his Freedom, and the piece
of Ground I found him upon, to live on.

That Liberty having render’d Life more agreeable to him, he then
studied all means to preserve it, and having some knowledge of things
proper to preserve as well as support him, he had ever since planted,
_&c._ in his Plantation, things proper for Physick as well as Food.

And indeed his Ground might be called a Physick-Garden, rather than
a Provision-Plantation; for of the latter he only raised enough to
support himself, of the former to supply others as well as himself, and
frequently made Medicines for his sick Acquaintance and others with
success. This Account I had of him from many, as well as from himself;
which made me entertain so good an opinion of his Skill and Fidelity,
that I ventur’d to take a Medicine made by him, by the use of which I
found great Benefit in the restoring me to the Use of my Limbs.

’Twas owing to his Skill that he had thus preserv’d himself to so great
an Age; and ’tis my Opinion, he had attain’d to a greater knowledge of
the physical Use of the Vegetables of that Country, than any illiterate
Person ever had done before him.

Believing some of the Materials not to be had in _Europe_, I procured
of him a quantity, and soon after returned to _England_.

On my arrival at _London_ in _August_ 1727, I made some Liquor to
compare with his, (which I found exactly the same) whereupon I
set about destroying of Buggs, and found to my Satisfaction, that
wherever I apply’d it, it brought out and kill’d ’em all. At length
I advertis’d, had great business, and pleased every body, then
apprehending no return of the Vermin. But yet, to my surprize, tho’
I had kill’d all the old ones, young ones sometimes, in some places,
would appear.

To my Liquor’s being then so strong and oleous, that I durst not
venture to liquor the Furniture for fear of damaging it, I at first
attributed the coming of those young Buggs.

Whereupon I studied to find an Allay for that Quality; which at length,
after many Experiments, and with much difficulty, I found out, and to
such a perfection, that I can and do with safety liquor the richest
of Furniture, as well as the Wood-work of Beds; and tho’ the staining
Quality be taken off, the valuable attractive and destructive parts of
the Composition still retain their full Virtue.

Having gain’d this great Point, I then went on briskly, and destroyed
Buggs and Nits in all Beds and Furniture wherever I came: But yet Young
Ones from behind Wainscot and out of Walls would sometimes afterwards
appear, get to the Beds for better quarters and food, and become
troublesome.

This much perplex’d me; but these unforeseen and then unknown
Difficulties, which might have discouraged a less enterprizing Genius,
prompted me the more to find the Cause and Means to overcome them;
which I conjectur’d might best be done, by finding their Nature and
Method of Breeding, Feeding, _