106 Dr. Mac Culloch's Essay on the 



subject, very particularly as it relates to the army. If he is 

 correct, — and we see no reason to doubt it, from the nature 

 of the statements, — the ignorance of this subject, even among 

 the medical department of the army, has been most extraor- 

 dinary and moat unaccountable ; while if Walcheren is proof 

 enough of this, the writer before us has pointed out facts 

 enough to show that it was not a solitary case, while evidently 

 restrained by fear of some sort — we are almost inclined to 

 call it cowardice — from telling all that he might have told* 

 And we do think it wrong to retain or suppress that which 

 is important to the public safety, under a fear that the feel- 

 ings of individuals may be hurt ; since the business of a 

 writer is with justice and utility, and the security or welfare 

 of thousands is of infinitely greater moment than the comforts 

 of a few, and those also culpable. 



Under this head, propagation, the author describes how 

 this poison is conveyed by the winds, while the facts add 

 much to the number and variety of the precautionary mea- 

 sures. And here also we find a speculation of no small 

 curiosity, respecting the East wind, attempting to prove that 

 wherever this is insalubrious or pernicious, it arises from its 

 being the vehicle of malaria ; while attempting also to prove 

 that this substance can be conveyed from Holland to the 

 coasts of England in that wind. We shall not pretend to 

 give an opinion on this subject ; and, since the author himself 

 has noticed it in the paper printedj in our present number, 

 we shall suffer our readers to form their own judgments 

 respecting it. 



One also of the most curious facts mentioned in this chap^ 

 ter, is the singular limitation of malaria ; and we must admi^ 

 that the instance quoted as to the Chatham road is so re- 

 markable as to be almost incredible ; though, as we find that 

 all the people agree in it, we cannot pretend to say it is not 

 a fact. Indeed the facts of this nature, so familiar at Rome, 

 are fully as inexplicable ; so that all we can conclude is, that 

 we are ignorant of the philosophy of this subject : no very 

 great cause of surprise, unless it were proved that we could 

 explain every thing else which belongs to meteorology. 



In the eighth chapter we have an explanation of the effects 

 of climate and seasons in the production of malaria ; and 

 .while we need not analyse the facts which it contains, we 

 may introduce in lieu of this, the explanations which its 

 statements afford as to that recent increase of the diseases 

 of malaria which we noticed at the commencement of this 

 ^article. The last few years have been distinguished for an 



