ATEVER 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 a Professional Man of Thirty Years experience, in various parts of
the World._

LONDON:

NICHOLS AND SONS, PRINTERS, EARL'S COURT, CRANBOURN STREET LEICESTER
SQUARE.

1831.

The first series of these Letters, consisting of five, appeared in the
months of September and October of the present year; five others,
written in a more popular form, were inserted in a Newspaper from time
to time, in the course of this month:--a few additions and alterations,
preparatory to their appearance in the shape of a pamphlet, have been
made.

If, at a moment like the present, they prove in any manner useful to the
public, the writer will feel great satisfaction.

November 26th, 1831.

LETTERS ON THE CHOLERA MORBUS;

SHEWING THAT IT IS

NOT A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.

LETTER I.

If we view the progress of this terrific malady, as it tends to
disorganise society wherever it shows itself, as it causes the
destruction of human life on an extensive scale, or as it cramps
commerce, and causes vast expense in the maintenance of quarantine and
cordon establishments, no subject can surely be, at this moment, of
deeper interest. It is to be regretted, indeed, that, in this country,
political questions (of great magnitude certainly), should have
prevented the legislature, and society at large, from examining, with
due severity, all the data connected with cholera, in order to avert,
should we unhappily be afflicted with an epidemic visitation of this
disease, that state of confusion, bordering on anarchy, which we find
has occurred in some of those countries where it has this year appeared.

Were this letter intended for the eyes of medical men only, it would
be unnecessary to say that, during epidemics, the safety of thousands
rests upon the solution of these simple questions:--Is the disease
communicable to a healthy person, from the body of another person
labouring under it, either _directly_, by touching him, or _indirectly_,
by touching any substance (as clothes, &c.) which might have been in
contact with him, or by inhaling the air abou