Non-Contagion of Piague. 
example, in the valley of Argostoli, where, 
after sun-down, and during the night, in 
summer, the exhalations of the day in part 
descend to the earth, probably while the 
heated upper stratum of earth continues 
for some time after sun-down to extricate 
others which cannot ascend. This is mi- 
asma in its most concentrated form, and 
will be pernicious, more or less, according 
to the surface, the season of the year, and 
the predisposition of bodies exposed to its 
influence ; for the presence of a marsh is 
not necessary to the production of remittent 
feyer, a disease more formidable than all 
others in the latter part of autumn, in the 
Jonian islands. After sun-rise rarefaction 
commences, and continues to increase with 
the sun’s force till twelve o’clock; during 
all this time, there is not a breath of air in 
the valley of Argostoli. About mid-day 
the rarefied air begins to ascend rapidly, 
and a cooler and denser air rushes in to 
supply its place, generally from the moun- 
tains of Acarnania and Epirus: thus a cur- 
rent is established which subsists till night, 
and is called by the inhabitants ‘ vento del 
golfo ;? but the same thing would have hap- 
pened, though in a lesser degree, did the 
gulf not subsist. This wind, highly salu- 
tary in itself, is dangerous when the body is 
overheated and sweaty.” —‘‘ I must notice 
the Siroc, the dreadful Samiel of Egypt, 
cooled and modified by its passage over an 
extensive sheet of water, before its arrival at 
the islands, yet capable of producing the 
worst effects! A fatal epidemic prevailed 
among the men of the 8th regiment in 
Zante, in the autumn of 1821. At a par- 
ticular period I had from thirty to forty 
men in the first stage of convalescence, all 
doing pretty well, and about twenty other 
bad cases; during the night the Sirocco 
commenced : next morning I could per- 
ceive little or no difference in the state of 
the sixty men in hospital. I lost six of 
them in the course of twenty-four hours ; 
and am persuaded I should have lost tlie 
whole of them in three days had the Sirocco 
continued.” 
—— 
On the Dancer of Intropuctne Con- 
gacious Diseases from ComMEn- 
ctaL Intercourse with InrEectrp 
Nations. By Dr. Jarnoity, Mem- 
ber of the Literary and Philosophical 
Society of Manchester. 
[(Copcluded from No. 411, page 516.) 
Wo MAY here take occasion to remark, 
that great obscurity is thrown round 
the origin of the plague, from the un- 
willingness of every nation to admit of 
any pestilence originating with them- 
selves :—probably because of an appre- 
hension that it marks the displeasure 
of Almighty God, The pestilence at 
Athens was ascribedto Ethiopia—that of 
645 
Constantinople, to Egypt—the more re- 
cent plagues of Turkey, to Africa. The 
plagues of England were never attri- 
buted to our own soil. The autumnal 
fever of Spain is said to come from 
Barbary ; the yellow fever of America, 
until Dr. Rush abandoned his belief of 
its being infectious, was commonly 
traced to imported merchandize; and 
almost the identical truss pointed out: 
now, that the idea of contagion dies 
away, the origin of the fever is attri- 
buted to the climate, acting on consti- 
tutions to which it is not assimilated. 
This unwillingness to admit the ori- 
gin of pestilence presents a bar to its 
counteraction; for almost every nation 
relies entirely on its sanatory laws. 
To guard the coast and the borders 
comprizes the principle, and, conse- 
quently, comprehends the practice, of 
such governments. Their own soil is 
never apprehended to have originated 
an infectious malady; and, therefore, 
no suitable precautionary measures are 
any where adopted. 
But to return from this digression. 
The early periods of the history of our 
country do not enumerate the plague 
among its evils: indeed, the period, 
from the fourteenth to the seventeenth 
century, includes the whole term of its 
existence in this country. At an ear- 
lier period, civilization had not created 
many wants; and, therefore, commerce 
was almost unknown. No infected bale 
introduced the plague, for none arrived: 
it had another origin—which was in the 
circumstances of the country ; and, now 
that civilization has improved the con- 
dition of the people, this malady is 
again unknown :—so limited an exist- 
ence cannot rank it among the diseases 
of the country. Its existence was dur- 
ing a period of bondage; the people 
were then vassals—a state in which 
they are always found where the plague 
exists. 
Turkey is another country, whose 
ancient and modern history are at va- 
riance. The one represents her as the 
abode of health and prosperity—the 
other, as an open sepulchre. Before 
Constantinople received its name, and 
became an imperial city, the beauty of 
its situation, and the salubrity of its air, 
attracted the attention of the Emperor, 
and influenced his choice. The ra- 
pidity with which it afterwards in- 
creased in population, manifests his. 
judgment. Here, again, the observa- 
tion presses itself on our notice, that 
had the plague then existed, the ee 
ciple 
