272 THOMAS CHAPLIN, ESQ., M.D., ON 



who take strong drinks and a liberal amount of very solid food, 

 more than their organisms need. It is interesting to find that 

 some of the very ancient diseases (particularly leprosy) were 

 probably much the same and quite as terrible as in modern times. 

 Leprosy is very obstinate, and is an example of a contagious 

 disease which is perhaps only contagious after long and frequent 

 exposure. Few seem to take the disease who merely visit the 

 ■sick, and the physicians who look after these cases usually, I 

 believe, escape altogether. Only those who live in a xerj 

 insanitary manner for a considerable time are attacked. The 

 ■disease is attributed, I believe, to bad dried fish. The germs 

 probably grow and multiply in this unsatisfactory food. 



The Secretary. — I would like to ask one question of Professor 

 Beale. Dr. Chaplin has stated that he does not think small-pox 

 existed in the days of our Lord, or before that period. Could he 

 ■give us some idea as to when and where small-pox originated ? 

 We know it has been a terrible scourge, particularly amongst the 

 aboriginal tribes where Eui-opeans have entered into their country 

 and mingled with them, as it was in IsTorth America ; but when 

 small-pox was first known in Palestine, and, I suppose, other 

 Eastern countries (for it is a terrible scourge ia India at the 

 present day) is a question that I should like to have answered. 

 As to one point he raised I have always believed that doctors and 

 clergymen are under a special Providence when performing their 

 important duties. 



Professor Lionel Beale. — It is very difficult to answer our 

 "Secretary's question about small-pox, for I have not looked up 

 what has been ascertained concerning the origin of small-pox. 

 The disease has existed for some centuries. In some instances 

 the recent epidemics seem to have been terribly severe, and about 

 twenty years ago I saw one of those sad cases, and heard of 

 others of what used to be called htemorrhagic small-pox, which 

 had been contracted in Paris, and was fatal in less than a week 

 from the first symptoms of illness. The disease is very likely to 

 be taken by persons unprotected by vaccination, of .whom, 

 however, there ought not to be now one in any part of the 

 country. The minute living contagious particles may be intro- 

 duced through the breath, and are so light that they may be 

 carried long distances through the air. The living particles do 

 not belong to the bacterial class. N'o bacterium can be identified 



