remains, to correct the infectious atmosphere of these
spots, by attention to health police--that they may fearlessly approach
their sick friends with impunity, for that the danger resides in the
above atmosphere, and not in the person of the patient; and that in all
situations they may defy it, for as long as they observe sobriety of
life and regularity of habits. Thus will public confidence be restored,
and thus be verified the homely adage of, "honesty, in all human
affairs, being ever the best policy"; for the concealment, or perversion
of the truth, however much it may be made to serve the purposes of the
passing day, can never ultimately promote the ends of good government
and true humanity, but must lead, sooner or later, to the exposure of
the delusion, or what would be far worse, to the perpetuation of error
and prejudice, and grossest abuse of the people, in regard to those
interests committed to our charge.

[Footnote 33: Vide O'Halloran, upon the Yellow Fever in Spain.]

* * * * *

Doctor Henry, of Manchester, has, in a late paper, published some most
interesting experiments, upon the disinfecting power of heat. He found
that the vaccine virus was deprived of its infecting quality, at 140 deg.
of Farenheit, and that the contagions of Scarlatina, and Typhus fever,
from fomites, were certainly dissipated and destroyed, at the dry heat
of boiling water. In regard to these last, he might surely have ventured
to fix the standard of safety at a greatly lower temperature; for if the
grosser vaccine matter could be rendered inert at 140 deg., there can be
little doubt of the subtile gaseous emanations, which constitute the
aerial contagions, being dissipated by the same agent, at an inferior
degree. In the absence of direct experiment, we may venture to infer,
that 120 deg. would suffice, to nullify these last. Such, at least, has
been the belief of those, who have been employed to purify ships,
barracks, and hospitals, from contagion, and I should think it must have
been founded on experience.[34]

[Footnote 34: As far back as the years 1796-7-8, this fact was familiar
to us in the St. Domingo war, only we were satisfied with a minimum heat
of 120 deg., from a belief that a temperature of that height, as it
coagulated the ova of insects (the cock roach for instance), and was
otherwise incompatible with insect life, would avail to dissipate
contagion.]

He does not treat of the di