656 
differ, in.its physical or chemical pro- 
-perties, from that of the most salubrious 
‘climate of Europe ;—and this was. de- 
monstrated when the, inhabitants were 
afflicted with a severe plague. Again; 
admitting that the plague does always 
depend on local or general causes, how 
is the well-known fact to be explained 
on that. idea,—that upon the appear- 
ance of plague, in any place, by a careful 
separation from the rest of the inhabi- 
tants, or by confining them within cer- 
ain limits, the disease only rages among 
these people — whereas, if restrictive 
measures are not had recourse to, the 
disease continues to spread, without 
regard to season or climate? In this 
-way, the plague at Corfu was confined 
to a particular district, and in Cephalo- 
nia, to the town where that disease first 
appeared.* 
‘But, so far from thinking’ ‘that ‘the 
plague depends on any particular state 
of the ‘air, I am, on the contrary, fully 
persuaded that the atmosphere operates 
most powerfully in hindering the spread- 
ing of, and dinally extinguishes, every 
contagious’ disease.- It’ is’ upon’ this 
property we understand why aggregated 
bodies in miotion,~as’ military’ bands, 
suffer legs severely when a contagious 
disease gets among them, ‘than when 
they are more stationary. sib 
“In confirmation of ‘thevopinion, that 
the’ propagation of the plague is owing 
to!éontasion; TI shall’ adduce; the follow- 
ing facts:—‘In the reigniof-Justinian, 
a'plague broke out in the neighbourhood 
Of *Pelusium, between °the)Serbonian 
Boe and ‘the channel of the Nile’ 
chiefly ‘recorded by Procopius,'whose 
correct. observation’. and » fidelity sare 
generally admitted: | This scourge: con- 
tinuedduring the long: period .of fifty- 
two years.) ‘In time its first malignity 
wassabated: andsdispersed;. the, disease 
alternately: languished,and, revived :) but 
it was) not) till the:calamitous, period of 
fifty-two. years that, mankind -recoyered 
their shenlth.’?, The Emperor himself 
was attacked, with it;-and wha,, like 
Socrates, when, struek, with the plague 
of Athens, seems, to have owed. his. re+ 
covery to the strictest abstinence...) 
The: plague that desolated England 
in 1849, dinst’ broke out, in China in 
1340, pursued its course towards Syria, 
* See Mead’s'\ Works; On | Contagion; 
and Muratori, Del Governo, della, Peste, for 
farther instances to this effect. 
t See Robertson, On the Atmosphere, 
vol. ii. p, 321, et seguentes, 
Contagion of Plague. 
Turkey, Egypt,.Greece, and Africa, in 
1347, it was carried into Sicily, from 
thence into Pisa and Genoa; in 1348, 
it got into France and Spain; after- 
wards it spread its ravages into Eng- 
land, Scotland, and Ireland; then 
Ne Germany, Hungary and Swe- 
en. ae 
These two well-authenticated cases 
would, I presume, convince ‘every un- 
biassed ‘person, that, at least, they could 
not have been occasioned by any par- 
ticular state of the atmosphere. They 
appeared, in a succession of years, in 
every habitable climate ; and it is not 
possible to imagine, that so long and so 
universal a deterioration of the atmo- 
sphere could exist, without “proving 
mortal to’ every animated ‘being on the 
face of the earth. This being admitted, 
it may then be asked} what «has given 
occasion to these dreadful visitations ? 
To which I ‘apprehend thé answer is 
contained. in ‘all the foregoing facts, 
proving that the ‘plague is, in every in- 
stance, propagated: by its contagion. 
For all the arguments ‘f have ‘yet seén 
urged against this opinion’ of the! nature 
of plague, may ‘be ‘resolved ito that 
advanced by Gregorius Nissenuis;' for it 
is’ as conclusive and) argumentative 
as any that has yet been! \brought for- 
ward on that side of thequestion. » He 
says, “There canbe no‘contagious dis- 
ease; because health, which is! opposed 
to disease, isnot contagious.” § > Or, in 
other words, his ipse diwitiqgaimst: gene- 
ral experience and observation’ ;—some- 
thing ithe mannerof/ Peterand. the 
brown loaf, and nearly: as threatening 
in its\consequencesi) ioiqeun 
From the earliest periods;of history, 
down‘to.recent times, instances of sud- 
den death: are recorded: from, inhaling 
the’ vapours arising from: \pestilential 
vapour, especially» fromematters. that — 
haye been:pent up after haying;been in 
contact with the:sick. ||: 1Itwould be a 
very=singular: coincidence; if these in- 
stances: of. asphyxiaisavere -apoplectic 
attacks,) independently» of}, the, usual 
cause: that has been: assigned for;them ; 
accordingto the ,assertions of those 
who, deny. the, existence. of contagion 
in. plague,.as these, attacks, have inya- 
riably. occurred. in, that «disease .only, 
and inno other, malady; however con- 
: Fel mais » otagious 
i Avia 3 aT) Gt TT ifr 7 
Daf Meddylsucrte ci boggets 
§ Vide Myndereri; Opera... 
||. Vide Plutarch, Pareus, Diemerbraech, 
Denon, Bie. oo. waohrega 
te - 
