Uponalltheseaccounts,Isay,Icouldwish,whenwewererecovered,ourconducthadbeenmoredistinguishedforcharityandkindnessinremembranceofthepastcalamity,andnotsomuchavaluingourselvesuponourboldnessinstaying,asifallmenwerecowardsthatflyfromthehandofGod,orthatthosewhostaydonotsometimesowetheircouragetotheirignorance,anddespisingthehandoftheirMaker—whichisacriminalkindofdesperation,andnotatruecourage。
Icannotbutleaveituponrecordthatthecivilofficers,suchasconstables,head—boroughs,LordMayor\'sandsheriffs\'—men,asalsoparishofficers,whosebusinessitwastotakechargeofthepoor,didtheirdutiesingeneralwithasmuchcourageasany,andperhapswithmore,becausetheirworkwasattendedwithmorehazards,andlaymoreamongthepoor,whoweremoresubjecttobeinfected,andinthemostpitifulplightwhentheyweretakenwiththeinfection。Butthenitmustbeadded,too,thatagreatnumberofthemdied;indeeditwasscarcepossibleitshouldbeotherwise。
Ihavenotsaidonewordhereaboutthephysicorpreparationsthatweordinarilymadeuseofonthisterribleoccasion—Imeanwethatwentfrequentlyabroadandupdownstreet,asIdid;muchofthiswastalkedofinthebooksandbillsofourquackdoctors,ofwhomIhavesaidenoughalready。Itmay,however,beadded,thattheCollegeofPhysiciansweredailypublishingseveralpreparations,whichtheyhadconsideredofintheprocessoftheirpractice,andwhich,beingtobehadinprint,Iavoidrepeatingthemforthatreason。
OnethingIcouldnothelpobserving:whatbefelloneofthequacks,whopublishedthathehadamostexcellentpreservativeagainsttheplague,whichwhoeverkeptaboutthemshouldneverbeinfectedorliabletoinfection。Thisman,who,wemayreasonablysuppose,didnotgoabroadwithoutsomeofthisexcellentpreservativeinhispocket,yetwastakenbythedistemper,andcarriedoffintwoorthreedays。
Iamnotofthenumberofthephysic—hatersorphysic—despisers;onthecontrary,IhaveoftenmentionedtheregardIhadtothedictatesofmyparticularfriendDrHeath;butyetImustacknowledgeImadeuseoflittleornothing—except,asIhaveobserved,tokeepapreparationofstrongscenttohaveready,incaseImetwithanythingofoffensivesmellsorwenttoonearanyburying—placeordeadbody。