Letters upon cholera morbus, with observations upon contagion, quarantine, and disinfecting fumigations / [Sir William Fergusson].

  • Fergusson, William, Sir, 1808-1877
Date:
1832
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters upon cholera morbus, with observations upon contagion, quarantine, and disinfecting fumigations / [Sir William Fergusson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    tagious property whatever; as well as the foreign contagions, which, if we relax in due precaution, may, at any time, be intro¬ duced amongst us—but the unreasonable length of this letter, for a newspaper communication, warns me to stop. I have written thus earnestly, because I deeply feel what I have here put down. It is possible I may have made mistakes, but if I have, they are not intentional, and I shall be happy to be corrected, for I do not live at the head quarters of communication, and my broken health prevents my frequenting in person, the field of investigation. In candour I ought to declare, that the establishment of quarantine against this new and hideous pestilence in the first instance, was the most sacred duty of Government, but now that its true character has been made known, and the futility of quarantine restrictions demonstrated, I feel equally bound, as one of the lieges, to enter my humble protest against their continuance. Should I write again, I shall still adopt the same popular style, for no other can be adapted to a newspaper communication, and the subject-matter is as interesting to the public, and every head of a family, as it can be to the professional reader; and, in thus making use of your columns, as I can have no motive but that of ardent research after truth, I know that I may always rely upon your assistance and co-operation. WILLIAM FERGUSSON, Inspector-General of Hospitals. Windsor, Nov. 26, 1831. apparent reason as they possibly could desire : but the candid impartial inves¬ tigator, who waits to observe the course of the disease before coming to a con¬ clusion, and refers to the facts furnished in the Cholera Hospitals of Warsaw and the sick quarters of Sunderland, will never be deceived in regard to its real nature, nor propagate the appalling belief that Cholera Morbus can be made a transportable and transmissible contagion.