654 DISSERTATION ON THE EPIDEMIC CHOLERA. 
sensorium, especially of a nature to excite grief, or any sudden 
alarm or fright, will sometimes have the effect of bringing on an 
attack of this complaint; and if such be admitted, it will go 
some way in explaining a considerable number of those cases of 
cholera, where the evidence of contagion appeared all but decisive^. 
Instances of relations and friends falling immediately one after 
another, as though they had certainly communicated it to each 
other, gave to it the indelible impression of an infectious disease: 
being seized in the presence of their friends, or dying before them, 
so filled them with fear and apprehension, and took such posses¬ 
sion of their minds, that they became, in consequence (other 
things, perhaps, at the time conspiring, as similarity of food, and 
similar exposure to atmospheric impressions), obnoxious to the 
disease, from a suspension of the proper functions of the nerves 
leading to the parts, which, losing their influence over the 
digestive organs in particular, would induce the attack ; so that 
nothing, under such circumstances, could shake the belief of the 
spectators that such were true cases of contagion. In the Phi¬ 
losophical Transactions for 1667, there is related a case, with 
every appearance of truth, where a terrible loud clap of thunder 
appeared immediately to have the effect of bringing on the dis¬ 
order; and I think, in the course of perusing some of the more 
ancient writers on this disease, I have also seen recorded testi¬ 
monies of its invasion from similar causes. 
Dr. Mason Good seems very much to depend upon opium with 
tonics, as Calumbo root, in his treatment of the disease, given 
very much after the manner of Sydenham. As to the probable 
effect of opium we have already delivered our sentiments. 
That dampness and chills, and not contagion, led to the com¬ 
plaint, is also strongly corroborated by a remark of Gendrin, p. 
312, Le plus grand nombre out ete atteintes pendant la niiit’’ 
6)C.; and Bouillaud also informs us that smaller colicky affections 
of the stomach and bowels preceded for several weeks the grand 
attack of the disease in Paris, so that the acting cause came on 
gradually ; which would also appear to confirm our opinion of the 
nature of it, and to remove the idea of any specific contagion. 
These smaller affections were called by the French physicians, by 
wav of distinction, the Cholerine (Traite du Cholera Morbus, 
p. 191.) 
If further proof were necessary, we may have the most unques¬ 
tionable of the propriety and advantages of the stimulant plan of 
treating this disease by reference to the writings of Dr. Burrel, 
(vide Bombay Reports, p. 68-80), who states, that the bile 
sometimes flows during this complaint; which affords us the 
opportunity of saying, that neither its suppression nor its flow is 
