Part 1

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.)

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.

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.

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 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 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 Negroes 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 Negro, what I so much wanted and desired.

The next day early I went, and finding my Negro 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 Negroes 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 Negroes 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 Negro 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 Negro, 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, _&c._

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 _England_.

_Viz._ “That soon after the Fire of _London_, in some of the new-built Houses they were observ’d to appear, and were never noted to have been seen in the old, tho’ they were then so few, as to be little taken notice of; yet as they were only seen in Firr-Timber, ’twas conjectur’d they were then first brought to _England_ in them; of which most of the new Houses were partly built, instead of the good Oak destroy’d in the old.”

In the above Account of their first coming, Esquire _Pitfield_ and Mr. _White_, a Chymist, Men of great Probity and Curiosity, agreed.

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 Feeding, to be come at from others, I was resolved assiduously to set about and try all possible ways to attain it myself. My first Step was to purchase and try Microscopes, and all such Helps as could be got, and to devise such others as might contribute thereto; by which I am enabled to give you the following Descriptions of Buggs, _&c._ which the better to illustrate, is annexed from a Copper-Plate, curiously engraven by the famous Mr. _Vandergucht_, the different Species and Sizes of Buggs, as well as one correctly and finely magnified.

I was not so fond of my own Performance, as to think my Treatise merited so great an Ornament. But as the Learned and Judicious Sir HANS SLOANE had done me the Honour to peruse and approve of my Manuscript, and thought it worthy thereof, and also desired and directed the doing the said Plate by so good a Hand; I should have been wanting to myself, had I not, in deference and respect to his Opinion and Request, annex’d the same.

* * * * *

A Bugg’s Body is shaped and shelled, 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, _&c._ and be a means to discover what had occasion’d the Difficulties I had met with in my Endeavours and Practice of destroying them.

As the Thought was _à propos_, and the Event having answer’d Expectation, I shall now inform you of my Observations and Discoveries thereby made.

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 Gradations 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 flick 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-feed.

Buggs of one day old, are white as Milk.

At three days old, are Cream-colour’d.

At one Week old, are Straw-colour’d.

At two Weeks, are of the same Colour, with a red List down the Back.

At three Weeks, List Copper Colour.

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 over brown.

At eight Weeks, they grow bigger.

Nine Weeks, Ditto.

Ten Weeks, Ditto.

At eleven Weeks, they are full grown.

_Vide_ the Plate done from _Europeans_ bred: under which is a single one longer and larger, than our full-grown, being a full-grown _American_ bred. ’Tis needless to give the Gradations of that Species, because when they spawn and breed here, the Young degenerate, and are of the _European_ Size.

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 generally spawn’d; I found by my account 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.

_Viz._ Their beloved Foods are Blood, dry’d Paste, Size, Deal, Beach, Osier, and some other Woods, the Sap of which they suck; and on any one of these will they live the Year round.

Oak, Walnut, Cedar and Mahogoney 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 Discoveries.

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 Weather proves more or less hot) come to life; the Residue proving addle, as do often the Eggs of Hens, _&c._

Thus they spawn four times in a Season; _viz._ in _March_, _May_, _July_, and _September_: by which ’tis apparent to a Demonstration, that from every Pair that lives out the Season, about two hundred Eggs or Nits are produc’d; and that out of them, one hundred and sixty, or one hundred and seventy, come to Life and Perfection.

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 Spawn I ever saw between _September_ and _March_, not one ever came to Life.

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 sufficiently 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 apparent, that in the other five Months, _viz._ from _September_ to _March_, when there is no such thing as Spawn but what is addle, and consequently cannot come to Maturity; it then naturally follows, that the Winter is the best Season for their total Destruction: which I shall make more fully appear presently, but must first refute two vulgar Errors.