1825.] 
whole were in high glee with their exhila- 
rating cheer, he yentured to ask them to 
declare honestly how they relished the 
several bottles before them. The unani- 
mous reply was,—‘ Every one is so exqui- 
site, that it will be nearly impossible to 
discriminate which should bear the bell.’ 
On this, a preconcerted signal being made, 
an overflowing bowl of the omnium beve- 
rage was introduced, and a glass-full given 
to each, that he might also candidly give 
his opinion of its contents. This, however, 
they simultaneously exclaimed, was erecra- 
ble :—‘ Well,’ rejoined the facetious host, 
* what you have now so severely condemned 
is neither more nor less than acompound of 
the identical wines which individually you 
so much extolled. ‘ The fact,’ he con-~ 
tinued, ‘so completely illustrates a prac- 
tical position, as to need no further com- 
ment. Each bottle is excellent in itself, 
but the compound is what you see.’”’ 
If, Sir, the multitudinous increase of 
Joint-Stock Incorporations should not 
appear likely to have drawn so many of 
your readers into their vortex, as to 
render Dr. Gilchrist’s bowl unpalatable, 
vour setting it before them, at your 
next monthly banquet, will oblige 
your’s, &c. 
A Frrenp to Unmrxep Borrtes. 
———>——— 
THE CONTAGIONISTS AND NON-CONTA- 
GIONISTS—THE QUARANTINE LAWS. 
BT. appears evident that some stand 
should be made, by men of cool 
judgment, against a system which is 
rapidly gaining ground, of indulging in 
shewy theories and incoherent schemes, 
at the expense of those old-fashioned 
notions of slow experiment and circum- 
spect examination, to. which English- 
men owe their individual and national 
prosperity and importance. Whether 
it be in Commerce, or whether it be in 
Science, the certain road to celebrity 
and profit is to pamper the moxbid 
appetite of the age for visionary theo- 
ries and flighty speculations, by assert- 
ing some gossamer novelty of opinion, 
no matter what, so it be at variance 
with the received notions of mankind 
in all ages, and especially contemptuous 
of the dictates of common sense. 
The individuals who wish to abolish 
the Quarantine Laws, on the ground of 
Plague not being Contagious, but. Epi- 
demic, are, we fear, actuated by some- 
thing of this prevailing mania.  Travel- 
lers are quite divided on the subject. 
Sir Robert Wilson is a Non-conta- 
ionist ; but a late traveller, Mr. Rae 
ilson, is a Contagionist, and brings 
strong evidence to shew that the plague 
is propagated by contact. Medical 
men are equally divided—and “ who is 
Contagionists and Non-Contagionists— Quarantine Laws. 
415 
to decide when doctors disagree.” The 
fact, at all events, of the disagreement, 
“ should give us pause 2?” A member 
of the Medico-Chirurgical Society, Mr. 
T. Forster, has published a pamphlet 
in favour of the non-contagious nature 
of pestilence; but it contains little be- 
sides a general inference, that it was 
not anciently considered to be conta- 
gious, from the writings of the Greek 
and Roman poets, and the opinions of 
Hippocrates and Galen. These in- 
ferences, we submit, are not of much 
weight on so momentous a subject. 
In the late debate on the Quarantine 
Laws Bill, Sir R. Wilson remarked, 
“ that the division of the Egyptian army 
stationed at Alexandria took the plague; 
while the other, which was in motion, 
was not touched by it.’ This dif- 
ference he attributed to atmospheric 
influence; but is it not more probable 
that the division avoided contagion by 
avoiding contact? Mr. Hobhouse ad- 
duced a very singular demonstration of 
the non-contagious theory—* Dr. Mac- 
lean entered an hospital at Constantine- 
ple, with nineteen other persons, in order 
to prove that the plague was not conta- 
gious :’—so far so good. But how did 
he prove it? “ Why, it is very true,” 
said the honourable Non-contagionist, 
“that he took the contagion; but (oh 
these buts!) the other nineteen persons 
went away unhurt.” If Dr. Maclean 
escaped, it is well known that Dr. White, 
who inoculated himself, in Egypt, with 
the virus of the plague, did not. 
Mr. Trant referred to a surgeon, a 
non-contagionist, who, in order to prove 
his opinion, got into a bed which had 
been occupied by an infected indivi- 
dual. What was the consequence? 
Like the quaker’s horse, which was 
taught to live without eating, the ex- 
perimentalist, unfortunately, died, at an 
equally unfortunate point of time. 
The general belief of Europe, illus- 
trated by the last example, and lately 
corroborated by Mr. Rae Wilson, is, 
that clothes can convey infection. It 
is farther supported by the fact, that 
the quarter of the Jews who purchase 
clothes in eastern capitals, is that where 
the infection frequently begins and most 
prevails; and again we say, that this 
general belief, so corroborated and sup- 
ported, and so feebly and contradicto- 
rily opposed, ought to admonish cau- 
tion in taking a step by which the health 
of the community might be jeopardied, 
for the chandler’s-shop principle of 
making a little additional trade, and 
selling a little more Egyptian cotton ! 
FALLACIES— 
