Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-08-31
DIR. wATERHoUsE ON CHOLERA

TO the Editors Of The Boston Courier:
So far from SpaSmodic cholera being as many
suppose, Il NEW and nondcscrpt pestcncc we
have seen, i'll our last number that the know ledge
OF 1t was as old as the records of medicine, and
that ARETGUs, Physician of Cappadocia In Asia
Minor, had given more perfect description of it,
two thousand years ago, than is to be found i'm any
other writer, unless it be CG:LUs IurcHqnus who
may have copied him. Whether Cnlius copicd
from AretGus, or he from Cnlius, we cannot icll
as their period ofwriting somewhat uncertain as
regards each other; but take them together and VIC
shall find that their description Of diseases sets all
competition at defiance. Indeed, the represent
allon or face OF diseases made by the ancents is
like their staluary, perfect. The famous Beer
hadue had such an opinion of the writings of Are.
tGus OF the Cappadocia, that he profaccd and pub
lIshed an edition of his works at Leyden i'm 1885
We promised to explain rather to Illustrate the
doctrine of PreGispositiOR, which seems TO puzzle
many, not of the profession.
we need not say that the word means n fitness
or adaptation to any certain purpose. We say that
such man is prcdisposcd by his incorporate ha-
oits, ana by giving way 10 passionate temper, to
cholera;-and that such street. lane or allcv is
PTcdisposed by its filth and Close unvcntiiatcd
structure, to generate a certain disease under nc
cullar constitution of an epidemic nf,posDbeye To
convey an idea of this, understandable by all we
must use The simplest mode of illustration, as thus:
lake piece OF clean white cotton or calico, and
with your flint and steel attempt TO set i, ON fire
on may strike an hundred times or till won RI
tIred without single spark catching the cloth
This is the clean town, street, lane or allev Rrt
burn the calico 10 black Under and the Grsi stroke
of the flint will probably set it on fire. as it is now
PredisPoscd, by burning, TO receive the fire from
the collision of the flint and stcc the spark catch
cs and the blaze follows. In one case the pure
cotton is not fitted Prcdisposcd 10 receive the fire
from the flint; but in the other Uhc finder and
black state of the cloth) it is prcdsposed TO be in
idmed and to burn up. If this illustration should
be viewed as too simple TO come ser cgthcdro," il
may, hope, be allowed in an obscure individual
cropping, like the rest, in the dark. Let us thus
leave this humble rush light in the corner unda.
ccnd TO a higher region in the clouds
Unprofcssional common sense has doubtless re-
marked tho expression of FIRE, as catching and LIGHT
ing up the epidemic pcs.ilcncc, and is ready To ask
our explanation of it. Alas! | cannot tell. for ae
no mortal over fire can tell its colour so no
physician that is or ever was, can explain that pc
cular CdiGstdiis or DiatheSis. or epidemic CoDstj
tuition of the atmosphere, which inilicts widely
wasting disease. EHdcmicGL diseases are pcculiar
to some particular spot, country, region or pcoplc
and the causes Of fhe removable by man as drain
ing off stagnant waters, and blowing ayav STAG
nant air. Whereas EfIDgMIcs are such as arc ne
culiar TO certain seasons, and constitutions
OF the air; depending on n concurrence IF re-
mote causes OF which are iguorapf. for oII
the meteorological observations hitherto rn,do
leave MS IN the dark respecting the cgyse Of the
most widely spreading EpiGcmics such as the IN
Hucnza, and tho sPasmodic cholera. Hence II has
been cmphaticaUy said that tho pc2tiIcnce ,salk.
cth IN dorkHeSS" Not being able to discover tho