The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-10-13 00:00:00

THE STATKSI

edlydemonstratedthe doeiritcearoni.agio.ti in epitil/Znie
and pestilential diseases, to be not only in fart a delu•
sion, but in its origin a fraud: .1 *bre shown that
it is supported, not by argument or fact, hut,
'on the part of the medical faculqv, 'from a pusillani-
mous reluctance. to acknowledge error, and, from a
desire on the part of governments to conceal the real
causes, which produce that state of predisposition in
the constitutions of the people, which enables a smaller
degree of vicissitude of temperature, or noxious quail-
tiesof the air to occasion an epidemic or a pestilence,
than would otherwise be adequate to produce that ef-
fect; together with a wish, in this cautery, to maintain
the patronage and influence of large and expensive esta-
blishments. The College of Physicians of London,
have not dared to look my arguments in the face,
when my researches were referred to theirs by the
Privy Council th-y reported that the plague is con-
tagious, beau'se they hcliteed that the &orients rere of
that opinion. If it were true that this was the opinion
of the incients, it e• wild be nothing to the purpose.—
Neither the opinion of the ancients, nor of any modern
College can prove that to exist, of which the existence
is shown, from the nature of things, to be impossible.
But it was not the opinion of the ancients. The idea of
contagion, in any disease, was unknown to them. I.
the dissertations of the ancients upon epideinics, there
is not the slightest mention, or the most remote allu-
sion to such a cause as a specific contagion. The cor-
porate spirit, and the false knowledge generated by
it, which have made such inroads upon the understand-
ings of the modertv,, had not affected the writers of the
enlightened days of Greeee or Koine, in such a man-
ner as to urge them to the adoption, or even to sug-
gest to them the idea of such an extravagant absur-
dity, as an epidonie disease depending- upon a ar-
t-Vic eo»tagion. Ilenre, instead of the insane and bar-
barous measures of cordons of troops, lines of Armin-
vallation, blockading of streets, dividing of cities into
thirty or forty plague districts or divisions, blocking
up commerce and navigation in all the principal sea-
port towns of Chri...iendotn, imprisoning the sick and
those sett:peeled of being infected in their houses, or
transporting them by force to the Lazarettos, or houses
of recovery, as they are here quaintly and ri-
diculously caked, together with other measures
of a similar description, ensuring the increase
of sit kness, misery, and mortality, often twenty-
fold, the Romans were wisely busied, in the
height of epidemics, in celebrating the fectival of the
Lectisternium ; thus seeking to remove or to alleviate
the terrors incidental to the calamity, in its usual and
ordinary farms, instead of superadding fresh causes
of fear, and consequently of sicknesa, which are the in-
evitable effects of the sagacious regulations of
the moderns. No wonder the inhabitants of
Barcelona, as is reported, have forced the cordon
of troops which surrounded their city, and
were endeavouring to keep them exposed to the air
which constituted the principal cause of the malady.
In this they would have done right, if even conta-
gion had been ascertained to form part of that cause :
for it is folly in• area to submit theteselvra-tiasa

muse to he devoted to almost inevitable destruction,
in order that others may he exempted from an evil of
which thP reality is at best unascertained. Nor can any
government have a right to exact this destruction,
far less to impose it—in fact deliberately to u►ur.ter
their citizens or subjects upon a large scale ;—for
every man, who dies f being compelled to re-
main in impure air, is, I must contend, officially
murdered.

As the London College of Physicians, in their Re-
port to the Privy Council, upon the subject of my
work. upon epidemic disease•:, have assigned the
alleged ITiidurs of the ancients, and the real belief
of Sir Arthur Faulkner, a member of their body, as
the sole grounds of their °end belief in the doctrite
of contagion, (not clsooslng to venture, as 1 pre-
dicted to the Privy Council would be the case, into
the argument at large) I shall here meet them upon
the ground which they have themselves 'chosen ; al-
though, as I have said, if 1 were to admit their alle-
gation to be true, nay, if both ancients and moderns
had universally entertained such a belief, the belief be-
ing shown to be absurd, it would be nothing to the
purpose. lam now, then, directly at issue upon the
matter of fact with the College, and with all those
who accuse the ancients of having entertained so
preposterous an opinion. It is no light or trivial ques-
tion, in consequence of which we see the great body of
the population of large cities doomed to almost inevita-
ble destruction. I say, then, that not only the ancients
generally did not entertain such a belief, and were wholly
unacquainted u ith the idea of contagion in any disease,
but that not a single ancient author has main-
tained such a doctrine. It is, by no means, sufficient,
that the words " Contagio," Contagions," &c.
should be pointed out in some of the ancient poets or
historians, since we know that they were used by them,
ins sense very different from the modern acaopta-
lion of the words " Contagion" and " Infection,"
which are also now pnrp6iety-confonnded by di the
adherents of this modern delusion. If the College,
then, cannot show, that any single author, medical or
other, among the ancients. has treated s xpressly of the
doctrine of contagion, or that a doctrine so consequen-
tial, could have existed and prevailed, without being
expressly treated of, they lutist stand convicted of
having, by unfounded assertions, contributed to the
maintainanee of destructive opinions and regulations.
and most expensive establishments. 1f the London
College had done their duty, by examining the argu-
ments against, as well as those in Aeonr of this delu-
sion, and reporting. according to the facts al the case,
not according to the opinions of the ancients. which
the ancients serer entertained, would the. catastrophe
of Barcelona, and all the quarantine and other plague
police regulations, which are now pervading Christen-
dom, have taken place? Would die military have or-
ders to fire on citizens running away from death ? Os
the contrary, would not other nations have inimedi
ately followed so laudable an example, and entered
upon a strict investigation of facts, instead of pertina-
ciously adhering to the errors of time 16th century?
Let the College reflect upon their conduct. aid learn,
that it is nd shame to be wiser this year, than they
were the last. They may be assaged, however pots at
they may fancy their•wn influence io the sappers of,
demonstrated error, that. whilst I have exist...we, sod
am able to write, their memories will be refreshed yew
eeraing their most shameful modest, respecting theen-;
cent investigation before Cosintittes'of the House of
Commoah into the validity of the deetrixe of anew

;N,

.

pion in the plague, in which etopk no prominent a
part, until, imitating the magnanimity df Dr. Rash, of
Philadelphia, they sing their recantation.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
CUARLES MACLZANG M. D.

TH' CO/041TTER appointed to ,undertake the
manairentent of the PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION to
INDEMNIFY Sir ROBEST WILSON hasten to announce
the sums already subseriba: to attain the desirable end of
placing him ‘. above the reach of Ministerial
.malice and
vengeance;" and they trust that public spirit 4,11 be suffi-
ciently alive to prove that the people of England are not
idle spectators of injustice or oppression being committed
with impunity on a meritorious and deserving Officer.
By Order of the Committee.
Three Tuns-tavern. Southwark. R. HALL, Sec.
SUBSCRIPTIONS received since last Advertisemeot.
C. D. Oirange,296, Bo- E. Ellice, Esq. M.P.50 0 0
rough. I 001 A. R. 50 0 0
Dibbin
ti R.
W. E.
John Bunton.. 1 I 0 A Friend, per ditto 100
R. G. A........ ... 3 3 0 T. Denman, Esq.
Servility proctaresPa- M.P. .....
tronage . 6 6 0 Dr.Loshington.M.P.2.l
A Boronghonian.... 6 5 0 Dancer.Nel:owg, and
R. I'. Maundeville .. 1 1 0 Co. 3 queer fish in
Liberty 1 0 0 Clipitone-street . 6
J. II 1 0 0 A Enemy to Oppres-
s. Whitbread, Esq. sion 1
M.P . 10 0 0 A Willing Mite 1
Rt. Hon. Earl Fitz- A. W. Pedley, Es, 5
William.... 800 0 0 JonatkanDocker.Eq.
Lord Holland ......100 0 0 Barr-street, Loa-
Earl of Jersey 50 0 0 don-Docks
I.ord J. Itussall,M.P.2s 0 0 V. W. G. per ditto I I 0
W. V 9O 0 0 John Alder. per ditto 1 1 0
LordOssulston,M.P 245 00IA. P. per ditto II 0
Viscount Duneannon. Danl. Harwood, pr do 1 1 0
M.P. 25 00 G. E. Atkinson, pr do 0 50
Subscriptions are received by the following Banking-
houses :—Memrs. Marten, Stone, and Co. 68, Lombard-
, slreet ; Williams and Co. Birchin-lane; Ladbroke and Co.
Rank-buildings; Ransom and Co. Pall-mall; and Sir John
Pinhorn and Co-Borough Bank.

O 0
O 0

O 0
O 0

00

00
00
3 0

ERRATA.-111 OUr list Subseriplion advertised for J. D.
11., read S.T. It.; for James llogg. Esq. 63, Old Bond-
street, 101.. read 03, Old Broad-street.

PRICE OF STOCKS THE
Sank Stork 2371 7
1 per Cent. Red 761 71 7
I per Cent.Coe. Ina
Si per Cyst.
4 per Cents. 9611
S per Ct.Na',y 110}l
s per Cent.
Long Aso 191 7-10
Imp Spar Cert.
Irish 6 per Cent.

DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.

India Moak
Dittoßot de 71: 693. 71s. pm
South-Sea Mock
South Sea Old Ann.
Ea 911199/1. 10001. 4s. bs. p.
-3001. bs. 4s. p..
Small 3s. 7s. pm.
India for ditto
Con, for Aoet 771
Lott. Tiakets 191. ISs.

ett Abtattilittatt.

Tilt IRITIft STAMMAN" II INCORPORAMD WITS 41 rai
STATIUMASI."

LONDON:
SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 13, 1821.

STOCK EXCILIN(4, TIVKLVE O'CLOCK.

Yesterday Consols left off at 7717 e, and opened this
morning at 77. i, though they are not quite so brisk as
4/steamy ; but money being plentiful, the market con-
tinues to look favourable for a rise. This being the
'first day of the Bank paying the Dividend!, the differ-
ent offices were crowded at an early hour.

ht addition to the statements of the public re-
venue, which we inserted in yesterday's paper, was one
which we then omitted on account of its length, and a
couple which have since been issued from the
Treasury. The former is an Ahstr4ct of the
Net produce of the Revenue of Great Britain, in
the year ended 10th Oct. 1820, and 1821, as well us of
the Total Produce of the Consolidated Fund. the an-
nual Duties and War Taus. together with, the total
produce of the Customs and Excise. Of the two which
have subsequently been given, the one is an account
of the Produce of the Excise Duties in the years and
quarters ended the 10th of October, 1820 and 1821.
*hewing the Increase or Decrease on each Head ; the
ether is an abstract of the Income and Charge on the
Consolidated Fund in the quitter ended 10th October,
1821.

To occupy our columns with these details would be
neither amusing nor edifying to our readers. it may
suffice to say, it at acco►ding to the statement of the
first mentioned paper, the total Revenue appears to
amount to 50,526,8001. , but it should be also remetn-
beim. (to check any impulse to excessive exultation on
We store) that there is au annual charge upon this Re-
venue, (referred to in the last of these three statements)
in the first plaice, of 30,000,0001. on account of the un-
paid National Debt of eight hundred millions ; and in
the next, of about 20,000,0001. more, on account of
the expenses of the Government and the Interest of
the Unfunded Debt. When these two seats are added
together, and subtracted from the above-mentioned
amount, little more than 500,00 W. surplus will remain,
to operate as a Sinking Fund, instead of the five mil-
lions which had been reckoned on by our calculating
COANCILLGO of the EXCINEINEk. Of the two other
abstracts, the only one that is of any general interest,
is that which relates to the produce of the Excise Du-
ties. As the increase in the last Quarter's Revenue
wu principally owing to an improvement in that
branch, the public will be curious to learn is
what particulars the augmentation had taken place.
The articles in which the greatest increase is obs•rra.
ble are Beer, Bricks and Tiles, Glass, Malt, Salt,
Soap and Tea ; and those' ie which the greatest Ut-
erus* had taken place, Auctions, Cyder, Hides, Hops,
Printed Goods, Tobacco and Snuff, and Wier. The
article, however, to which the Revenue has been
chiefly indebted fur its improvement during the last
parties is Malt, the increase of the duty on which, shove
thecorrespeedleg quarter of last year is stated to a moo nt
to tie less than 488,0741. The whole amount of the pro-
d.'s '

of the Incise being surly 6011.000/.. we confess,
we eoesitiered it yesterday as s gratefel symptoms of int-
orareassi is the circumstances of the labouring classes
#imar rerslsties. As ietelligens corresponiket,

who hai (issued ea with a cu+a►asicatioa, which we