691 
t>R. little’s coral theory. 
proposition, if not diluted by the third, the reader will be able to 
test the malarious influence exercised by Coral reefs in general. 
There is one other point however, to which I must direct particular 
attention, as it materially modifies the theory under consideration, 
and shows on what sort of foundation it rests. “ The reef (writes 
Dr. L.) attached to Blakang Mati, whose influence is felt by those 
living at Ayer Bandera, is of a triangular shape, the sides of the 
triangle not being less than half a mile” and from this reef to 
Kampong Kopit is a distance of half a mile, which distance Dr. 
Little considered sufficient to secure the inhabitants for the in¬ 
fluence of the reef He could not in reason, attribute their safety 
at Kampong Kopit to the small quantity of coral exposed there, 
and he did attribute it, to the distance of half a mile which inter¬ 
venes between the coral reef and the village of Kopit.* 
By the general application of these propositions the theory ad¬ 
vanced by Dr. Little must stand or fall, and it is almost needless to 
observe that a few exceptional cases will not support a theory which 
embraces a large portion of the globe, and which must demonstrate 
the effect of exposed coral reefs, upon some millions of our fellow men. 
Leibig defines contagion and miasm as follows:—“ If the matter 
(he writes) undergoing decomposition is the product of a disease, it 
is called contagion; but if it is a product of the decay or putrefac¬ 
tion of animal or vegetable substances, or if it acts by its chemical 
properties (not by the state in which it is) and therefore enters into 
combination with parts of the body or cause their decomposition, it 
is termed miasm.” 
Dr. Little it is evident asserts the same thing in a round about 
way, and the product of his new theory on Coral reefs is, that 
miasm generated from animal decomposition gives rise to fever—- 
not from its being a Coral reef, but from the amount of animal 
putrefaction ! Now I am willing to grant the fact that decomposing 
animal matter, on coral reefs or anywhere else , in confined situa¬ 
tions, and under particular circumstances, will generate miasm, but 
what is gained by the admission of a well known fact, which is as 
applicable to a slaughter house or to a heap of rotten German 
sausages, either of which causes would produce the same result as 
a coral reef', exactly in proportion to the amount of animal decom¬ 
position which poisons the surrounding atmosphere. It would 
certainly be as reasonable to write an Essay on German sausages 
as the cause of fever; for miasm is generated, and fever produced, 
not from a coral reef, or a German sausage, but from animal 
decomposition, and animal decomposition alone, and without animal 
decomposition the fever would not be present, either with fresh 
German sausages or a wave swept coral reef. 
* That is—animal decomposition will he in proportion to tlib size of the reef, and 
malaria in proportion to animal decomposition—malaria is the result of a small as 
well as a large reef. 
