Caution to the public, or, hints upon the nature of scarlet fever, designed to shew, that this disease arises from a peculiar and absolute virus, and is specifically infectious in its mildest as well as in its most malignant form : including some cursory remarks upon plague and other pestilential diseases.

Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Caution to the public, or, hints upon the nature of scarlet fever, designed to shew, that this disease arises from a peculiar and absolute virus, and is specifically infectious in its mildest as well as in its most malignant form : including some cursory remarks upon plague and other pestilential diseases. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    $.1 Although custom may be allowed to exercise considerable influence, in our decision upon the im- port of these; yet it cannot be admitted to such an extent, as to do violence to their critical import and application. Epidemic implies a disease, not peculiar to a nation, or people—which appears, and sojourns,as a stranger —uncertain in its visitations—and observing no stated times in its reappearance, or regularity in its con- tinuance ; Plague, and Scarlatina, may be adduced in illustration of Epidemic, whereas Endemic im- plies a distemper, which arises from some circum- stances, peculiar to a country—of which Intermit- tents, arising from the marshes, and fens of Essex, Cambridgeshire, &c. are examples. The terms Contagion^ and Irifectiony professional men, as well as the public, have been in the habit of employing as synonymous ; and if it were not for the purpose of contra-distinction, these might be used, arbitrarily, to express the same meaning. Infection^ it is generally admitted, implies contact; it necessa- rily supposes touch, upon the principle that nothing in the material world can act in any other manner—* Contagion in like manner implies InfectioUy whether this term be used to designate the influential effects of a disease, that is communicable through the medium of the air, or one, which can only be imparted, by means of actual insertion, or touch—all the specific affections of the skin exemplify the latter—and Small Pox furnishes an instance of the former. Hence it may be inferred, that the term Infection might, with practical benefit, be restricted to those diseases, which