An inaugural dissertation on the influenza : submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; the trustees and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania, in order to obtain the degree of Doctor of Medicine, on the eighth day of May A.D. 1793 / by Robert Johnston, of Philadelphia, member of the American Medical Society.
- Johnston, Robert, 1750-1808
- Date:
- MDCCXCIII [1793]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: An inaugural dissertation on the influenza : submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; the trustees and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania, in order to obtain the degree of Doctor of Medicine, on the eighth day of May A.D. 1793 / by Robert Johnston, of Philadelphia, member of the American Medical Society. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
19/48
![The foregoing fact reflecting the co-incident appear- ance of the Epidemic Catarrh in Africa and Europe, firft mentioned by Reaumur [who derived his informration from the letters of Caflini] is quoted by .Van Swieten, in his chapter on Epidemic difeafes, and muft have been known to Doctor Cullen, who was unqueftionably, well acquainted with the writings of that great man. My own observations, as far as they have gone, are perfectly con- fonant with this fact; nor can I conceive why the influen- za might not arife as fpontaneoufly in America, as in Europe, and there as readily as in the ifland of Bourbon. The Morbific matter exciting the difeafe muft have origi- nated at fometime, and fomevjhere; and a caufe like to that which gave rife to it in any one country, at any one point of time, might produce it in another country at the iame time, under fimilar circumftances. It may be objected, that the difeafe could not have ari- fen from the air, becaufe the countries here mentioned muft experience at any particular time, very different ilates of that element. This argument may be allowed to have fome weight againft the fuppofition of its arifing entirely from the fenfible qualities of the air, but extremely little againft the probability of its taking birth from fome inexplicable variety of exhalations contained in it, which mixing with our fluids, or by their ftimuius difor- der our bodies (13)- This was the opinion of the de- fervedly celebrated Herman Boerhaave respecting epide- mics in general, and, as far as I have been able to difco- ver, it has not been overturfUffl^^/r argument, or fub- fequent obfervation, at leaft as far it applies to the epide- mic catarrh. This indeed was not the opinion of Boer- tlie influenza was contagious, in the common acceptation of that word, that is to fay, that it was conveyed and propagated by the contact, or at leafl: by the fulficiently near approach, of an aftedted perfon. Med. Commun. Vol. 1. Page 46, (13) Aphorifin 14cS.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21133852_0019.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
