, and impurity
of atmosphere, from overcrowding and accumulation of sick, but neither
transmissible nor transportable out of its own locality, through human
intercourse. As the disease, like all the other great plagues, which at
various periods have desolated the earth, evidently came from the east,
it would be most desirable in pursuing our investigation, to have a
clear knowledge of the mode of its introduction into Russia on the
eastern boundary of Europe. Unfortunately we can place no dependence
upon the reports that have been published to prove importation there,
which are lame and contradictory, although coming from the avowed
partizans of contagion; but even had they been better gotten up, we
could not, unless they had been confirmed by the experience of other
nations, have received them with implicit reliance.

The Russian Employe of the provinces, _mendacior Parthis_, not from
greater innate moral depravity than others, but from the corruptions
of a despotic government which compel him to live under the rod of a
master, amidst a superstitious barbarous population, whose dangerous
prejudices he dare not offend, can only give utterance to what his
tyrants command. Even at the more civilized capital of Petersburgh, the
mob rose in arms to murder the foreign physicians when they did not act
according to their liking. Could the truth then be heard on such a
field, or what native officer would venture to impugn the authority
of his rulers, proclaiming contagion? If he did, he must cease to live
in the official sense of the word. Throughout Europe, from east to
west, the disease has followed its own route according to its own
incomprehensible laws, despite of every obstacle and precaution. We have
the authority of our own Central Board for believing that the disease
cannot be conveyed by merchandize of any kind, and that of our mission
to Russia for greatly doubting whether it can adhere to personal
clothing or bedding; and will it be pretended that human beings,
labouring under such a distemper in any form, could have been the
vehicles of spreading it in a straight line for thousands of miles
throughout civilized nations, armed and prepared to defend themselves
against its inroads,--they tried, but in vain. We, too, may strive to
discover the demon of the pestilence amidst the clouds of the climate,
or the winds of Heaven. He remains hidden to our view; and until better
revealed, it only remains for us to exercise to