The Sun.
London, England, 1819-06-18 00:00:00

PLAGUE CONTAGION.

Ate. EntTott—l
.have, for some years past, in
common with many others, paid great attention
to the discussiOns Which have been carrying on
respecting contagion in epidemic diseases, than
which there cannot, in my opinion, be a question
Of greater importance to mankind. This con-
troversy has als'o prevailed on the opposite shores
of the Atlantic. Shortly before leaving America,
in order to travel, and to perfect my medical
studies in Europe, I had an opportunity of
perusing the valuable publication of Dr. MAbLEAN
on the Plague, which had been imported into the
United States, and was much struck with the
fot•'ce of hit reasoning, as well as gratified by the
ingenuity of many of his doctrines. It was eulo-
logized, as I think it deserved to be, in some of
the periodical publications of that country. I
felt naturally enrinns to know whether it was re-
garded in the same fairOurable light by thetritics
of England. But ilfound what I bad heard was
a received adage in the Old World, that " a man
is nciftrafthet in his own cannery" to be verified in
this ease. I found what were considered it unque,s-
tidnahle able truths on one side of the Ocean,
represented as speculating fancies On the Other ;
*hit *as regarded as conclusive reasoning, re-
presented as sophistry and delusion. How was

this difference to be accounted for ? Could ii have
depended on a radical difference in the intellec-

that faculties of the American and European
Critics ? This much is at least certain, that,
whilst in America neither prejudices, nor prepo-
tessions, respecting the Author, his doctrines, or
his opponent's, can be supposed to exist, they
may operate in England with powerful and ex-
tensive effect. The only effectual and certain
remedy for this evil ultimately is discussion. But,

in the mean tithe, let the European poison, as
has happened of other viruses of that part of the
world, be accompanied by its Columbian antidote.
With this view, Sir, you would greatly oblige
me, and I am persuaded also serve the cause Of
truth; by granting insertion in your Journal, to
the following short 'Extract from a Trans-At=
!antic Criticism of Dr. MACLEAN'S Work on the
Plague. Your obedient Servant,
London, June 1, 1819. AN AMERICAN PHYSICIAN.

" Here we meet with an old acquaintance, and
a formidable antagonist to the ,loctrihe
of pesti-,
lential contagion : he is the same whom we had
noticed twenty years ago, &c. (alluding to Tracts
published in India in 1796, atid imported into
America in 1797). Our readers May judge how
glad we are again to see dur old friend returned
from froM Ilia Asiatic excursions and exposure to,pes-
tilential blasts. 'We are overjoyed in examining
the powerful weapons. with which he aims deadly
blows Lgainst the tottering fabric of contagion in
plague, &c. Not unaware of , the many subjects
which, in the work of Dr. Maclean, would
equally call for our praise, br our criticisnii .we
Must for the present regulate our selection ac-
cording to our periodical limits, and postpone,
'until the conapletidn of his second Volurite, our
review of the various points of doctrine he has
Connected with his principal subject. , Sufficiently
abundant, in his first volume, are indeed the
matters relating to the great controversy and
facts, which have been recorded in eighteen vo-
lumes 61 .tint Medical Repository, in support of
the proclaimed declarations of the distinguished
British end Medical Cosmopolite:

The preliminary discourse constitutes the
first book Or division of this volume (vol. 1). We
may tall it an impressive and encyclopedical dis-
course on all subjects that cans bear any relation
to the work itself and to the Author. We think
it highly interesting. Friends or foes to the new
doctrine will be interested and entertained by it.
A most important, and, we may say, solemn call
is made upon the integrity and philanthropy of
the thinking and well-informed part of mankind,
&c. On the subject of Laws of Epidemics incom•
patible with Contagion, our Author notices maoy
More in as many succeeding chapters ; Emil, in a
masterly manner, proves every one of them. These
and other chapters are enriched with novel and
instructive facts, illirstrated by practical remarks,
and enforced by an universal practical eXperlence
and analysis, which will convince at least the can-
did and the impartial reader, and conipebthe du-
bious or the prejudiced into his usual reintrench-
[trent of silence or scepticism.... Dr. Maclean
contemplates in all their bearings the various and
complicated consequences of this fuodantental
error, whether as they relate to humanity, to the
progress of medical improvement, to the moral
state of communities, to political economy, to the
interests of Conimerce and navigation, to the suc-
cess of expeditions and the safety of armaments,
to individual intercourse, and the intercourse of
nations, or to the general consumer and the pub-
lic revenue. in each point of view it would be
hardly believed that the beat interests of mankind
could have been sO long sacrificed to popular pre-
judices and inherited delusions ! ... Our limits
in this periodical work make us regret that we
cannot ray enough en the numerous subjects to
which the author adverts, better to itnpreSs un
good minds the fallacy of the doctrine which,
among other evils, has entailed upon all cbminer-
cial nations an universal and no lest absurd and
calamitous systetn of quarantine. The British
(quarantine) law is here analysed, and its dein-
tions, like ail others of the hind, shewn, while it
could not in the least protect the British Esta-
blishments in the ilediterranertn; no more than it

can correct or Check the blowit►g of a pestitcrous
wind.... Such is the periretted state of quarau-
tiac eitablithizt Do, that i; cults► fin tilt EttutruiDg

and of a Medical Luther or a ativin, no less than

the abuSes of the Church did during the pontifi-
cate of Leo X. We hope that, with his succeed.
ing volume, our Author may be the successful
reformer in his country, the power and greatness
of which command so much influence all over
the world."

(New York Medical Repository for Nov. 1817,
Vol. 4, of a New Series, p. 151-163.)