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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.
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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
Chapters
18 totalTranscriber's Note
LETTERS ON THE CHOLERA MORBUS.
LETTERS ON THE CHOLERA MORBUS; SHEWING THAT IT IS NOT A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.
LETTER I.
LETTER II.
LETTER III.
LETTER IV.
LETTER V.
LETTER VI.
LETTER VII.
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
en
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
2009-02-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
About the authors
J. (James) Gillkrest
d. 1853
A 19th-century medical writer and army hospital official, he is remembered for works that argued fiercely against the idea that cholera spread by contagion. His surviving books capture a moment when doctors were struggling to understand epidemic disease in real time.
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William Fergusson
1773–1846
A Scottish army surgeon who turned a life of wartime service into vivid medical memoir and commentary, he wrote from firsthand experience in military hospitals across Europe and the Caribbean. His recollections offer a rare window into medicine during the Napoleonic era.
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