Letters on the Cholera Morbus. / Containing ample evidence that this disease, under whatever / name known, cannot be transmitted from the persons of those / labouring under it to other individuals, by contact—through / the medium of inanimate substances—or through the medium / of the atmosphere; and that all restrictions, by cordons / and quarantine regulations, are, as far as regards this / disease, not merely useless, but highly injurious to the / community.

by J. Gillkrest; William Fergusson

[21] The oven on that account need not lose character with bread-eaters, for according to the old adage, Omne vitium per ignem excoquitur.

[22] Light too, more especially when assisted by a current of atmospheric air, is a true and sure disinfectant, but it is not so applicable as heat in the common contagions, from requiring an exposure of the infected substances for days together, or even a longer period, before it can be made effective.

It is now time to bring this tedious letter to a close; I shall be happy, through the same channel, to give any information, or answer any inquiries that may be authenticated by the signature of the writer; but anonymous writing of any kind, I shall not consider

[Pt_2
[Pg 17] myself bound to notice. Should the dreaded disease spread its ravages throughout our population, I may then, at some future early opportunity, trusting to your indulgence, trespass again upon your columns with further communications on this most interesting subject.

WILLIAM FERGUSSON,
Inspector-General of Hospitals.

P.S.—Throughout the foregoing letter, I have used the words contagion and infection as precisely synonymous terms, meaning communicability of disease from one person to another.

November 9, 1831.

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LETTER II.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE WINDSOR EXPRESS.

Sir,—In my last letter, I treated of the practicability of guarding our country against the now European and Continental disease, malignant Cholera Morbus, by quarantine regulations. In the present one, it is my intention still in a popular manner to scrutinise more deeply, the doctrine of imported contagions; to point out, if I can, those true contagions which can be warded off by our own exertions, in contradistinction to others which are altogether beyond our controul; and here it may be as well to premise, that when I use the term epidemic, I mean atmospheric influence, endemic-terrestrial influence, or emanation from the soil; and by pestilential, I mean the spread of malignant disease without any reference to its source. The terms contagion and infection have already been explained.