Conollifs Proposal, fyc. 429 



medical profession to observers of nature, animate and inani- 

 mate (p. 3.) ; the causes which influence health (p. 4.) ; the 

 nature and changes of diseases (p. 5.) ; the order, nature, and 

 duration of epidemics (p. 6.); the coincidences between them 

 and the weather (p. 7.), illustrating his positions by examples, 

 under his own eye, of ineligible situations for houses (p. 8 — 10.), 

 want of regard to health in modern buildings (p. 11.), &c. 

 Then follow some examples .of* the inflammatory fevers, cho- 

 lera, &c, recently so prevalent, showing how these were 

 affected by changes in the wind* (p. 12. 16. and 24.), 

 and other atmospherical causes (p. 18 — 25.), and that the 

 cholera has been twice preceded by influenza (and, we add, a 

 third time, as the present return of that malady proves) ; the 

 whole involving the great problem of the communicability and 

 caprice of diseases (p. 26, 27.). 



To elucidate this, it is proposed to found a series of County 

 Natural History Societies, to be divided into sections, on sta- 

 tistics, geology, geography, meteorology, agriculture, botany, 

 archaeology, chemistry, &c. ; the meetings to be held at the 

 quarter sessions, the members to be medical and scientific 

 men, and country gentlemen interested in the enquiry ; the 

 matter of discussion to be all questions in these various de- 

 partments of enquiry, and the form of publication of the 

 results " Annuaires," after the manner of those of the depart- 

 ments of France (p. 28 — 36.). i /n^ieviiiLJ sriJ oiotad 97u1u3l 



Of the value of such a concentration of observations there 

 cannot be a shadow of a doubt, but of the probability of the 

 adoption of the plan recommended we have serious doubts^ 

 not from any unwillingness on the part of those best calcu- 

 lated to further it, but from the fewness of the numbers of 

 men likely to be induced to make common>icause/inila4jj5r>wvoa4? 

 of public utility not producing a pen\<^mtfig€n iiW&ifear that 

 Dr. Conolly has overlooked in his hope the current of public 

 opinion, and the universal direction of popular pursuits : for, 

 notwithstanding all that science has done, and continues to do, 

 for the good of man, the drift of men's minds is towards the 

 increase of their worldly stores more than their mental profit 

 or the public advantage. Still there would be so much of 



IfioLi n'h >) tfiobn'cil) aimajjiqa lo .aifiiiy b/it *io ijjoi iatd ed$ 

 * To Dr. Gonolly's observations may be added the following remarkable 

 fact: — The cholera broke out in November, 1822, at New Orleans, con- 

 temporaneously with a north-east wind. It occurred again, under similar 

 circumstances, in April and May, 1833. In both instances it ceased! When 

 the wind changed. The cholera made its first appearance at Goole, in 

 Yorkshire, with a north-east wind. Its departure was preceded by a 

 furious thunder storm, which cleared the air without rain ; after which the 

 cholera ceased its ravages entirely. In various parts of India, the cholera 

 was observed, amico teste, to occur simultaneously with a wind from the 

 north-east. V; m • i>ini i d\ msilfr <wmnintRi vino 



