Letters on the cholera morbus : containing ample evidence that this disease, under whatever name known, cannot be transmitted from the persons of those labouring under it to other individuals by contact, through the medium of inanimate substances, or through the medium of the atmosphere, and that all restrictions, by cordons and quarantine regulations, are, as far as regards this disease, not merely useless, but highly injurious to the community / by a professional man of thirty years experience, in various parts of the world.
- Gillkrest, J. (James), -1853
- Date:
- 1831
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Letters on the cholera morbus : containing ample evidence that this disease, under whatever name known, cannot be transmitted from the persons of those labouring under it to other individuals by contact, through the medium of inanimate substances, or through the medium of the atmosphere, and that all restrictions, by cordons and quarantine regulations, are, as far as regards this disease, not merely useless, but highly injurious to the community / by a professional man of thirty years experience, in various parts of the world. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
![a comnninity acts upon erroneous decisions on the above question's- for It we proceed in our measures on the principle of the disease not beins either directly or mduectly transmissible, and that it should, nevertheless be so in (act, we shall consign many to the grave, by not advising- inea- siires of separation between I hose in health, and the persons, clothes &c of the sick. On the other hand, should governments and the heads of families, act on the ])riiiciple of the disease being transmissible from person to person, while the fact may be, that the disease is produced in cch l)erson by his breathing the deteriorated atmosphere of a certain limited surface, the calamity in this case must be very great; for, as has hap- pened on the Continent lately, cordons may be established to prevent flight, when flight, in certain cases, ivould seein to be the only means of safety to many ; and families, under a false impression, may be induced to shut themselves up in localities, where every breeze is bane. Hence then the importance, to the state and to individuals, of a rigid investigation of these subjects. It is matter of general regret, I believe, among medical men, that hitherto the question of cholera has not always been handled in this country witli due impartiality. Even some honest men, from erroneous views as to what they consider the safe side of the question, and forgetting that the safe side can only be that on which truth lies (for then the people will know ivhat to do in the event of an epidemic), openly favour the side of cominunicahility, contrary to their inward conviction ; while the good people of the quarantine have been stoutly at work in making out that precautions are as necessary in the cholera as in plague. Meantime our merchants, and indeed Ihe whole nation, are filled with astonishment, on discovering that neighbour- ing states enforce a quarantine against ships from the Ihitish dominions, when those states find that cases of disease are reported to them as oc- curring among us, resembling more or less those which we have so loudly, and I must add prematurely, declared to be transmissible. It is quite true that, however decidedly the question may be set at rest in this country, our commerce, should we act upon the principle, of the disease not being transmissible, would be subject to vexatious measures, at least for a time, on the part of other states; but let England take the lead in instituting a full inquiry into the whole subject, by a Committee of the House of Conunojis ; and if the question be decided against quarantines and cordons by that body, other countries will quickly follow the example, and expliide them as being much worse than useless, as far as their ap- plication to cholera may be concerned. It is very remarkable how, in these matters, one country shapes its course by what seems to be the rule in others; and, as far as the point merely affects commerce, without regard to ulterior considerations, it is not very surprising that this should be the case; but it is not till an epidemic shall have actually made its appearance among us, that the consequences of the temporising, or the precipitation, of medical men can appear in all their honors. Let no man hesitate to retract an opinion already declared, on a question of the highest importance to society, if he should see good reason for doing so, after a patient and unbiassed reconsideration of all the facts. We are bound, in every way, to act with good faith towards the pul)li(;, and](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22281514_0006.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
