escaped almost untouched, owing to no
other apparent cause than that they occupied the extremity of a range of
barrack in which all the other companies were stationed! so that there
would truly seem to be more things "on earth than are dreamt of in the
philosophy" of contagionists. This seems so remarkable an event, that
the circumstance should be more particularly stated:--"The disease
commenced in the eastern wing of the barracks, and proceeded in a
westerly direction, but suddenly stopped at the 9th company; the
light infantry escaping with one or two slight cases only."--(_Bengal
Rep._ 311.) It appears (_loc. cit._) that 221 attacks took place in the
other nine companies. We find (_Bombay Rep._ p. 11.) that, from a little
difference in situation, two cavalry regiments in a camp were altogether
exempt from the disease, while all the other regiments were attacked.
Previous to closing these remarks, which seemed to me called for on
Dr. Walker's second Report, it is fair to state, that in certain Russian
towns which he names, he found that the medical men and others were
convinced that the cholera was brought to them "_somehow or other_," an
impression quite common in like cases, as we learn from Humboldt, and
less to be wondered at in Russia than most places which could be
mentioned. It will not be a misemployment of time to consider now the
next document laid before the College, to enable them to form their
opinion,--the Report of Dr. Albers, dated in March, and sent from St.
Petersburg;--this gentleman, who was at the head of a commission sent
by the Prussian government to Moscow, states, that at St. Petersburgh,
_where the disease did not then reign_, the authorities and physicians
were contagionists; but at Moscow, where it had committed such ravages,
"almost all strenuously maintain that cholera is not contagious." The
following extract seems to merit particular attention:--

"When the cholera first reached Moscow, all the physicians of this city
were persuaded of its contagious nature, but the experience gained in
the course of the epidemic, has produced an entirely opposite
conviction. They found that it was impossible for any length of time
completely to isolate such a city as Moscow, containing 300,000
inhabitants, and having a circumference of nearly seven miles (versts?),
and perceived daily the frequent frustrations of the measures adopted.
During the epidemic, it is certain that upwards of 40,000 inhabitant