Star.
London, England, 1825-09-07 00:00:00

Which

'but a chimera; this Committee published the reasons
upon which they, had formed this opinion,, which were
so conclusive that they effected the conversion of a tele-
brated phisiciant *ho had before been at the head of
the -contegionims. Lassis p-esented a list of ten
,commones in Barcelona, enclosed wi the, cordon.
sanieeire, in which SOO sick took refuge. The inhabitants
cotutruoicated constantly with the city, but no ahem-.
tion took place in their health. M. Lassis concluded,
by declaring that he not only did not believe that either
the plague, the yellow fever, or any other typhus, was
contagious, but be, denied also the existence of infecliox,
and he thought that the adoption of this latter opinion
did not cause less calamitous results than the idea of
contagion itself.
At the conclusion of the memoir, a very interesting.
.discussion took place in the Academy relative to cots-
tagioa. M. Laennec commenced the discussion, and
-interrogated the author as to.wbether he absolutely de-
nied the existence of contagion in every species of rlis-
without resttiction.
• Lassis replied, that he always excepted As
measles and syphilis, but he excepted those only.
" Since M. Lulls," continued M. Laennec,
inilates file malignant pustule of Burgundy to the
pestilential buboes of the.plague, sad is he pretends
that these two disorders are the same, would it not be
better, according to him, to begin by making experi-
ments on the disorder which we have now berme us;
and thus arrive at the conclusion which, in the opinion
of non-cootagionists, might be legitimately extended to
the plague ?"
M. Lassis replied, dm the malignant pustule of
Burgundy isincit more, malignant than the. plague; but
that the experiments which might be made on it could
not undeceive the public. "We must strike at the root
of the evil," said he; " it is the plague of the Levant
which is feared, and it is to the plague of the Levant
that we must address ourselves."

M. Geoffroy Saint Hilaire observed, that he would
communicate to the. Academy the result of the observa
tions which he had himself made in Egypt. " I have
never made them public: added he, " either in my
lectures, or by means of the Journals; and though the
communications. which I am going to make do not po-
sitively refer to the fundamental merits of the question;
yet I think they are not entirely devoid of all interest's
The plague does not reign exclusively in Lower Egypt;
it ravages sometimes the Lower and sons:times the
Upper, but never both at the same time; and it is
always subordinate to-the influence of the overflowing
of the Nile: If this river rises very high, Upper Egypt
is attacked by the plague, because it is influenced by
the exhalations which rase from the damp earth heated
by the sun. The lower country, on the contrary, situ-
ated beneath the place where the emanation of delete-
rious gases takes place, is exempt from it.. The upper
country remains healthy, because it is exempt from
humidity; but Lower Egypt being in its turn subject
to the ihfluence of damp and heat, is ravaged by this
destructive scourge. It is, therefore, to the Nile *lone
that we must attribute the plague in Egypt ; and co
deliver that country from it, it would be necessai T to
take away that river. The-Nile, throughout the course
of the year, dominates over the health of the country ;
and its variations totally change the medical constitu•
tions of the regions which it waters; and it results that
these constitutions have an energy of which we have no

M. Bow related the same fact, bat stated that persons
might descend into the port every day without coo-
tracting. the contagion, but that they coulitame with
impunity mike it their usual residence, or sleep tbem.
Mt Leasure observed, that in spite of all that had
besii.said, as to the climate being as powerful iusugeot
1* the production of the plague as the yellow fever, he
thought there wain .reason to believe that an identity
existed betwezn those two disorders. It was requisite
to divide the question, and malceinsolated experiments.
The author then reverted to his first proposition,
relative to the malignant pustule of Burgundy, and
observed, that researches on contagion should com-
mence with an enquiry into this.
M. Pariset said, he was astonished; that in this dis-
cussion thomost nreorious facts relative to the late-epi-
dewy at.ilisiecelona alone should Irate bees -bionght for-
ward. It seemed to have been forgotten, that-Tottosa
*as infected by a patient, who,. on leaving Barcelona,
took refuge there; as was also Palma ;- and that in the
port of. Mahon similar communicatiorabad caused the
same disorder. A vessel front Lara, finding the poets
of Spain shut, put into the Lazaretto at Marseilles.
This vessel had-communicated with Mahon, and almost
the whole of the new perished at Marseilles. " There
is-not, perhaps," continued M. Pariset, 41 a more healthy
.village in the world than Carlotta. Situate on the de.
,c 1 city of a bill, and removed from all species of finest
or stagnant water, the air there leas a free circulation,
the streets being sixty feet broad ;- and yet thil spot, so
healthy. and delightful, has suffered from the yellow
fever, which bad been brought there by patients af-
fected with it. It has been said that the villages in the
vicinity of Ramelona were exempt from yellow fever,
in spite of the number of sick who had perished there;
but it is certain, on the contrary, that when an infected
person-is assiduously taken care of, either by a parent
or a. friend, the person who had constantly come in
close cautact with him is sure to contract the disorder.
It isrheivever, true, that de -new patient would scarcely
ever transmit the. disorder himself, for all contagious
disorders lose their force in passing from an individial,
other than the one who first propagated it. Numerous
facts might be cited of muleteers whir, in transporting
merchandise, had brought the disorder into places
where it had not before existed. These facts ate noto-
rious, and I can assure you, upon my honour, that the
great majority of Spanish physicians do not in any way
doubt tie reality of contagion."
The President observed, that as the Academy of Me-
dicine were to discuss the subj 'cc' of contagion when
the Report was presented, it would be desirable to close
the debate upon the subject.
M. Lassis, who was about to address the Academy
before the closing was ordered, eonteated himself with_
observing that it would not be defficuk to refute the as-
seitioas of M. Pariset.