I had some light relief recently polishing off this little book at DP. In less than 50 pages, we get the strange but true* story of how the author discovered the secret of eliminating nitts from an ancient, but unnaturally youthful negro in Jamaica; a bit of natural history:
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.
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.
and some handy advice:
If you have occasion to change Servants, let their Boxes, Trunks, &c. be well examin’d before carried into your Rooms, lest their coming from infected Houses should prove dangerous to yours.
But wait, there’s more! The author will sell you your own bottle of the liquor for a mere two shillings, or
Persons about taking Houses, Lodgings, or buying Furniture, paying for Surveying, shall be attended, and at first View be justly and truly inform’d if the Premisses be Buggy, or free from Buggs, by
JOHN SOUTHALL,
At the Green-posts in the Green-walk near Faulcon-stairs, Southwark.
Plus, there’s an advert for a book about chocolate.
Gorgeously illustrated, too:
*Story may not actually be true.