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J. (James) Gillkrest
Letters on the Cholera Morbus. Containing ample evidence that this disease, under whatever name known, cannot be transmitted from the persons of those labouring under it to other individuals, by contact—through the medium of inanimate substances—or through the medium of the atmosphere; and that all restrictions, by cordons and quarantine regulations, are, as far as regards this disease, not merely useless, but highly injurious to the community.

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Letters on the Cholera Morbus. Containing ample evidence that this disease, under whatever name known, cannot be transmitted from the persons of those labouring under it to other individuals, by contact—through the medium of inanimate substances—or through the medium of the atmosphere; and that all restrictions, by cordons and quarantine regulations, are, as far as regards this disease, not merely useless, but highly injurious to the community.

by J. (James) Gillkrest, William Fergusson

EN·~4 hours·18 chapters

Chapters

18 total

Transcriber's Note

1:05

LETTERS ON THE CHOLERA MORBUS.

1:12

LETTERS ON THE CHOLERA MORBUS; SHEWING THAT IT IS NOT A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.

0:04

LETTER I.

22:44

LETTER II.

35:45

LETTER III.

23:58

LETTER IV.

31:03

LETTER V.

18:55

LETTER VI.

9:31

LETTER VII.

13:02

Description

In these early‑19th‑century letters, a seasoned physician confronts the panic surrounding cholera morbus, the term once used for a range of acute gastrointestinal illnesses. Drawing on three decades of practice across continents, he methodically argues that the disease is not spread by direct contact, contaminated objects, or airborne transmission, and that the sweeping quarantine measures of the day cause far more harm than good.

The writer’s clear, persuasive style blends scientific observation with urgent social commentary, warning that misapplied public health policies can cripple commerce, strain families, and fuel chaos. By laying out the essential questions of contagion versus environmental causation, he invites listeners to reconsider how societies respond to emerging health threats. These letters offer a fascinating glimpse into the medical debates of the 1830s and the enduring tension between caution and overreach in epidemic response.

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Full title

Letters on the Cholera Morbus. Containing ample evidence that this disease, under whatever name known, cannot be transmitted from the persons of those labouring under it to other individuals, by contact—through the medium of inanimate substances—or through the medium of the atmosphere; and that all restrictions, by cordons and quarantine regulations, are, as far as regards this disease, not merely useless, but highly injurious to the community. Containing ample evidence that this disease, under whatever name known, cannot be transmitted from the persons of those labouring under it to other individuals, by contact—through the medium of inanimate substances—or through the medium of the atmosphere; and that all restrictions, by cordons and quarantine regulations, are, as far as regards this disease, not merely useless, but highly injurious to the community.

Language

Duration

~4 hours (260K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by Bryan Ness, C. St. Charleskindt, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

Release date

Feb 20, 2009

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

Source

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28147

Subjects

Gastroenteritis RC

About the authors

J. (James) Gillkrest

d. 1853

A 19th-century physician and medical writer, he is best known for books on cholera and yellow fever that capture the fierce public-health debates of his time.

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William Fergusson

1773–1846

A Scottish army doctor who turned hard experience into vivid medical writing, he spent years following British campaigns abroad and later reflected on what war did to soldiers and hospitals alike.

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