in Women, p. 120.]

Dr. Armstrong has given a number of instances in his Essay on Puerperal
Fever, of the prevalence of the disease among the patients of a single
practitioner. At Sunderland, "in all, forty-three cases occurred from
the 1st of January to the 1st of October, when the disease ceased; and
of this number forty were witnessed by Mr. Gregson and his assistant,
Mr. Gregory, the remainder having been separately seen by three
accoucheurs." There is appended to the London edition of this Essay, a
letter from Mr. Gregson, in which that gentleman says, in reference to
the great number of cases occurring in his practice, "The cause of this
I cannot pretend fully to explain, but I should be wanting in common
liberality if I were to make any hesitation in asserting, that the
disease which appeared in my practice was highly contagious, and
communicable from one puerperal woman to another." "It is customary
among the lower and middle ranks of people to make frequent personal
visits to puerperal women resident in the same neighborhood, and I have
ample evidence for affirming that the infection of the disease was often
carried about in that manner; and, however painful to my feelings,
I must in candor declare, that it is very probable the contagion was
conveyed, in some instances, by myself, though I took every possible
care to prevent such a thing from happening, the moment that I
ascertained that the distemper was infectious." Dr. Armstrong goes on to
mention six other instances within his knowledge, in which the disease
had at different times and places been limited, in the same singular
manner, to the practice of individuals, while it existed scarcely if
at all among the patients of others around them. Two of the gentlemen
became so convinced of their conveying the contagion, that they withdrew
for a time from practice.

I find a brief notice, in an American Journal, of another series of
cases, first mentioned by Mr. Davies, in the "Medical Repository." This
gentleman stated his conviction that the disease is contagious.

"In the autumn of 1822 he met with twelve cases, while his medical
friends in the neighborhood did not meet with any, 'or at least very
few.' He could attribute this circumstance to no other cause than his
having been present at the examination, after death, of two cases, some
time previous, and of his having imparted the disease to his patients,
notwithstanding every precaution."

Dr. Gooch says