&Yic;OUR ready Conde&rehy;scension to peruse the following Trea&rehy;tise, and to see the Expe&rehy;riments of my Liquor, both
The Satisfaction of ha&rehy;ving this Treatise and Ex&rehy;periments 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 intro
&Bic;EING diffident of my own Performance, and desirous it should stand or fall by the Opi&rehy;nion of the Best of Judges, was the Motive that induced me to make my
Tho' with such Helps as it now has, I am not without Hopes that it may extend its Qualities to distant infe&rehy;cted Places.
I should think it a Duty Incumbent on me, and would wait on the Vene&rehy;rable Members of the aforesaid So&rehy;ciety, present when my Manuscript was read, personally to return them
&Aic;S Buggs have been known to be in
But as none such have attempted it, and I have ever since my re&rehy;turn from
And tho' in attempting it I must own I had a View at private Gain,
The late Learned and truly Va&rehy;luable Dr.
Not to make this Acknowledge&rehy;ment 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
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 Pub&rehy;lick 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 at&rehy;tain'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 Rea
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 Rea&rehy;sons that first induced me to under&rehy;take a Discovery so very difficult to appearance.
It may not therefore be unneces&rehy;sary to acquaint such, that in the Year 1726, my Affairs requiring my going to the
But, contrary to their Expecta&rehy;tion, recovering a little, they ad&rehy;vis'd me to stay no longer in a Country, so prejudicial and dange&rehy;rous to me, than till I could get Ship&rehy;ping for
In one of my Journeys meeting with an uncommon Negro, 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 de
By this account I judged, and might reasonably suppose him up&rehy;wards 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 Negroes and some others there calles) 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 exci&rehy;ted in me a Curiosity to have far&rehy;ther Discourse with him; and on my telling him, that for my part I should
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 bet&rehy;ter Rest than usual, not being Bugg&rehy;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 Use&rehy;fulness of this Liquor, that I was re&rehy;solved to endeavour, and if possible to prevail on him to teach me how to make it; well knowing so valua&rehy;ble a Secret was much wanted, and would be highly useful, if I lived to return to
In order to obtain it, I got some
The next day early I went, and finding my Negro in his Hutt, I asked if he could dress me some
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 Li&rehy;quor we did not drink whilst I staid, I would give to him, as a Re&rehy;compence for the Favour.
At first he refused, believing me (as I found by his discourse) to be a
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 Compo&rehy;sition; which being done, all the Bottles we emptied of Beer were fill'd with the Liquor; with which I re&rehy;turn'd to
Having thus obtain'd my most material Point, I could not yet for
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 stu&rehy;died all means to preserve it, and having some knowledge of things
And indeed his Ground might be called a Physick-Garden, rather than a Provision-Plantation; for of the latter he only raised enough to sup&rehy;port himself, of the former to supply others as well as himself, and fre&rehy;quently made Medicines for his sick Acquaintance and others with suc&rehy;cess. 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
Believing some of the Materials not to be had in
On my arrival at
To my Liquor's being then so strong and oleous, that I durst not venture to liquor the Furniture for
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&rehy;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 destroy'd Buggs and Nits in all Beds and Fur&rehy;niture 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 dis&rehy;couraged 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,
In order to it, I enquir'd of many Booksellers, if any Book concerning them had ever been published; but finding none, I then made it my business to discourse as many learned, curious, and antient Men as I possibly could, concerning them; but all that ever I could gather from either, was the following Account, how and when they were first known to be brought and to breed in
"That soon after the Fire of
In the above Account of their first coming, Esquire
And as the Sap of Deal is one of their beloved Foods, this probably might be the first way they were brought. How they are still brought, I shall speak to more fully hereafter, in my Instructions to avoid them.
Finding no satisfactory Account of their Nature, Breeding, and Feed&rehy;ing, to be come at from others, I was resolved assiduously to set about and try all possible ways to attain it
I was not so fond of my own Performance, as to think my Trea&rehy;tise merited so great an Ornament. But as the Learned and Judicious Sir
A Bugg's Body is shaped and shel&rehy;led, and the Shell as transparent and finely striped as the most beautiful amphibious Turtle; has six Legs most exactly shaped, jointed and bristled as the Legs of a Crab. Its Neck and Head much resembles a Toad's. On its Head are three Horns picqued and bristled; and at the end of their Nose they have a Sting sharper and much smaller than a Bee's. The Use of their Horns is in Fight to assail their Enemies, or defend themselves. With the Sting they penetrate and wound our Skins, and then (tho' the Wound is so small as to be almost imperceptible) they thence by Suction extract their most delicious Food, our Blood. This Sucking the Wound so given, is what we improperly call biting us.
By often nightly watching and daily observing them with the best of Helps, having discover'd Males from Females, I determin'd, and then did put up a Pair in a Glass, as believing that to keep them the Year round, would be the only and best way to find the Nature of their breeding, feeding,
As the Thought was
As I put up the Pair aforesaid, so did I another Pair that day Fortnight, and so every Fortnight for eighteen Months, did I put up others, with various Foods.
The first, second, third, and fourth Pair lived, but did not presently breed, it not being then their Season of so doing: But in about ten Days after I put up the fifth Pair, they all spawn'd much about the time of each other; and in about three Weeks the Spawn came to life.
Of the Spawn and different Gra&rehy;dations of Buggs, I shall now give you an exact Account.
The Eggs or Nits are white, and having when spawn'd a clammy glutinous Substance, they stick to any thing spawn'd upon, and by Heat come to Maturity and Life. The Eggs are oval, and as small as the smallest Maw-seed.
Buggs of one day old, are white as Milk.
At three days old, are Cream-co&rehy;lour'd.
At one Week old, are Straw-co&rehy;lour'd.
At two Weeks, are of the same Colour, with a red List down the Back.
At three Weeks, List Copper Co&rehy;lour.
At four Weeks, List Browner.
At five Weeks, List deeper Brown.
At six Weeks, the Sides brown, and the List hardly discernible.
At seven Weeks, they come to be of their proper Colour, all o&rehy;ver brown.
At eight Weeks, they grow big&rehy;ger.
Nine Weeks, Ditto.
Ten Weeks, Ditto.
At eleven Weeks, they are full grown.
As I wrote down the Time I put up all Pairs for breeding, and also the Times they spawn'd, and observ'd and set down the Numbers they ge&rehy;nerally spawn'd; I found by my ac&rehy;count of above forty Pair so put up with various Foods, not only their best-beloved Foods, but also their Method of Breeding; of which, to render my Observations of publick Service, I shall give you an account.
Oak, Walnut, Cedar and Maho&rehy;goney they will not feed upon; all Pairs I put up with those Woods for Food, having been soon starved to death.
Wild Buggs are watchful and cunning, and tho' timorous of us, yet in fight one with another, are very fierce; I having often seen some (that I brought up from a day old, always inur'd to Light and Company) fight as eagerly as Dogs or Cocks, and sometimes one or both have died on the Spot. From those so brought up tame, I made the greatest Dis&rehy;coveries.
They are hot in Nature, generate often, and shoot their Spawn all at once, and then leave it, as Fish do.
They generally spawn about fifty at a time, of which Spawn about forty odd in about three Weeks time usually, (but sometimes two or three days more or less, according as the
Thus they spawn four times in a Season;
Some of the first Breed I have known to spawn the same Season they were hatched; but so few in Quantity, and those so weakly, that the Winter killed them.
I have also observed that in Rooms where constant Fires have been kept Night and Day, they have been so brisk and stout as to spawn in the Depth of Winter: but of all the
This plainly evinces, that Natural Heat only produces Life in the Spawn, and that Artificial cannot.
Thus having shewn plainly the Number each Pair annually produce, I hope their great Increase is so suffi&rehy;ciently accounted for, that it need no more be wonder'd at.
And having also shewn their seven Months Season of Breeding, if 'tis admitted, as I think 'tis plainly ap&rehy;parent, that in the other five Months,
The first is, That many People imagine they are dead in Winter. This is a Notion so absurd, that it would hardly be worth mentioning, had I not by Experience found it had prevail'd with many People of Sense and Learning, as well as the Vulgar and Illiterate. The many Experiments by me shown at the Hospitals in the hardest Frosts last Winter, and in the Houses of the Nobility and Gentry, and to Sir
This they will do all the Year round in the coldest or hottest Wea
The
It is generally observ'd and gran&rehy;ted, that a Person under an ill Ha&rehy;bit of Body, if he receives a small Cut or Wound, so slight as to be at first thought a Trifle, such Person's Wound by reason of such ill Habit shall be attended with Inflammations and other dangerous Symptons, and be longer under Cure than Wounds, which when first receiv'd were
And as Fevers, and Swellings at&rehy;tending and prolonging the Cure of Fractures, are accounted for the same way; why may it not by the same parity of Reason be admitted, that the Bite or Wound of a Bugg should swell and inflame such only whose Blood is out of order; and tho' they do bite, cause no Inflammations on any in right order of Blood?
The best Reason which can be given in support of this Error, is, That where two Persons lie in one Bed, one shall be apparently bit, the other not.
Buggs indeed, where there are two Sorts, may feed most on that Blood which best pleases their Palate;
Of this I am sensible, that I daily am bit when practising and at work in my Business, destroying them; and as they never swell me but when out of order, from thence I infer, that not only myself, but all such who are among Buggs, and do not swell with their Bites, are certainly in good Habit of Body. But to re&rehy;turn to my Subject.
Having shewn that they not only live in Winter, but asserted that to be the best Season for their total De&rehy;struction, I must further observe, that few People caring to trouble them&rehy;selves about Buggs but when they themselves are troubled by them,
I do admit innumerable Quanti&rehy;ties have been destroy'd, and much good has and may be done in Sum&rehy;mer: but should every old Bugg then be destroy'd, you are yet not safe; for the Nits behind Wainscot and in Walls, which cannot be come at, will by heat come to life, and your work is partly to be done over again.
Whereas, on the contrary, if clea&rehy;red out of Spawning-time, there is a certainty, as there is then no Nits, that their Offspring cannot plague you thereafter.
'Tis for this Reason I warrant what I do in Winter; which I can&rehy;not pretend to do in Summer.
In Summer indeed I do destroy all Buggs and Nits too in Beds and their Furniture, but Buggs only be&rehy;hind Wainscot and in Walls: for tho' my Liquor has an attractive as well as the destructive Quality, and thereby does bring out and destroy every live Bugg; yet their Nits being inanimate, cannot come to the Li&rehy;quor, nor the Liquor at them. Such Nits therefore will come to life by heat, and quit the Walls and Wain&rehy;scot for better Quarters and Food in the Bed, and so become troublesome to you.
Having thus given, I hope, a sa&rehy;tisfactory Account of this nauseous, venomous Vermin, I shall proceed to shew how they are daily brought to
As these Insects abound in all foreign Parts, especially in hotter Climates more than they do here; 'tis on that account all Trading Ships are so over-run with them, that hardly any one thing, if examin'd, will be found free.
And as by Shipping they were doubtless first brought to
This Metropolis therefore, as ha&rehy;ving the greatest Number of Shipping, has had the greatest Number impor&rehy;ted, and consequently bred in it.
You that are free, and would a&rehy;void a foreign Supply in your Houses, examine well all things from on board Ships before you admit them into Lodging-Rooms. Chests and Casks, Linnens, and Paper, being
If you have occasion to change Servants, let their Boxes, Trunks,
Examine well all Furniture that comes in, before you set it up, Beds especially; which I recommend should be plain, and as free from Wood-work as possible, and made to draw out, that the Wainscot and Walls may be better come at, to clear them from Buggs and Dirt.
Deal Head-Boards, and Head&rehy;Cloths lined with Deal, or Rails of that Wood, avoid.
Also Beach-Bedsteds, for all such afford them much Harbour and Food.
If for Ornament you use Lace, let it be sewed, not pasted on, for Paste they love much.
Oak-Bedsteds, and plain Wain&rehy;scot Head-Boards, and Tester-Rails of that Wood, allow them the least Harbour, and no Food; such there&rehy;fore I recommend.
If you put out your Linnen to wash, let no Washer-woman's Basket be brought into your Houses; for they often prove as dangerous to those that have no Buggs, as Cradles, and Bugg-Traps made of the same Wood, often do to those that have them: for the Wood they are made of, affords them much Convenience of Harbour, and great Nourishment.
Upholsterers are often blamed in Bugg-Affairs; the only Fault I can lay to their Charge, is their Folly, or rather Inadvertency, in suffering old Furniture, when they have taken it down, because it was buggy, to be
Builders are more blameable than they: for in Houses built for Sale, old Wainscot-Doors, Chimney-Pieces,
In taking of Houses, new or old, and in buying Bedsteds, Furniture,
To such as have, and would de&rehy;stroy them, I shall now proceed to give full Directions. In order to do it effectually, and to lessen your trouble, the first necessary thing to be known, is their Marks.
Buggs, tho' nasty to us, are so cleanly to themselves, that they quit their places of Harbour to come out and dung, and their Excrements leave a Mark or Stain like that of a Fly, but somewhat blacker; and wherever you see such Marks, if on Wood, look for the nearest Crevise, Knot or Streak; if on Walls, for the nearest Crack or Hole; if on Furniture, for the nearest Seam, Lace, Tape, or Fold, and there as&rehy;suredly are the Vermin, and there apply the Remedy.
In Winter-time, few, if any, are to be found by day-light in the Furniture of a Bed; but in the Wood&rehy;work, Wainscot, or Walls only.
In the Summer they are all over, and every Lace, Tape, Seam and Fold must be examin'd, as well as the Crevises, Joints, and Carving in the Wood-work, for the Marks, and the Remedy applied accordingly.
In Winter-time, though they lie in pretty close Quarters, yet are they easily destroy'd with any thing that will attract or entice them to it.
If no such thing you have, give me leave to recommend my Liquor; on the Application of which, at all Seasons of the Year, they will come out, and immediately die before your Face.
In Summer they lie in more open Quarters, and spread, and then are not in any measure to be reduced, but by such Liquors as you may safely touch the Furniture with all over: if none such you have, you may depend that mine will not stain or any way hurt the richest Velvet, Silk, or Stuff, not even Scarlet, which almost every thing else will do.
On account of these excellent Qua&rehy;lifications, the Liquor has its Name of
If the Trouble of doing it your selves be disagreeable to you, you may have it expeditiously done by me or my Servants, and your Beds, or such Part as is necessary, taken down and put up again in full as good, if not better Order, than they were before, and alter'd, (if I see Opportunity or Occasion) and made to draw out, on my usual easy Terms.
As I have occasionally mention'd what Sort of Beds I would have you avoid, give me leave to add and assure you, that Beds may be made full as warm as usual, and ve&rehy;ry ornamental, and yet be so very han&rehy;dy, as that any one of your own Ser&rehy;vants might take all down and clear them of Buggs, Dirt, and Dust, and put them up again in a quarter of an
Those that have a mind to have new Beds thus made, or old ones alter'd, are to observe, That the Head-posts of the Bedsted are to be no higher than just to support a Wainscot Head-board, the Tester&rehy;lath supports the Rod as usual; in the Rail are to be nine Holes drilled in, but not quite thro'; the two at the Head, to take off and hang on, (at Pleasure,) two Upholders drove into the Wainscot or Wall; in the other seven, thro' Eye-let Holes, at proper Distances in the Tester-cloth, are to be seven Balls or carved Branches to keep the Tester-Cloth tight; to which the Head-cloth, and inside and outside Vallens are to be fixed: so that by taking the
&Pic;Ersons wanting to be clear'd and kept free of those nauseous venomous Vermin, shall be atten&rehy;ded by the Author on the following Terms,
To clear a Bed-sted with Mould&rehy;ing-Tester, Wood Head-Cloth, Head&rehy;board and its Furniture, 10
Bed-steds with single-rais'd Tes&rehy;ter, Moulding, Head-Cloth, Board
Bed-steds with ditto Tester, plain Head-cloth, cover'd Head-board and Furniture; and Field-beds and Furniture, at 7
Four-post Bed-steds, or Canopy&rehy;beds, with plain Furniture, 6
Press-beds, Chest of Drawers Beds and Bed-steds, without Furni&rehy;ture, 5
Wainscot Walls, Hangings,
For Expedition and Safety, and to prevent Trouble to his Customers, or Impositions on them or himself, the Author takes his own Servants with him, to take down and put up such Parts of Beds, Wainscot, Hangings,
Persons about taking Houses, Lodgings, or buying Furniture, paying for Surveying, shall be at