PREFACE.
Feeling it to be incumbent on every one to contribute to the good of his fellow-men, in as far as his experience enables him—
“Non sibi sed toti mundo se credere natum;”
“Non sibi sed toti mundo se credere natum;”
“Non sibi sed toti mundo se credere natum;”
“Non sibi sed toti mundo se credere natum;”
and presuming on the practical knowledge gained during a sojourn of a quarter of a century in climes that are not the most hospitable, the Author has been induced to offer to the public the following pages, as his professional lucubrations on a subject deeply interesting to every community,—a subject both comprehensive and obscure,—comprehensive, inasmuch as it involves the consideration of a vast variety of disease under the appellation of Epidemic Pestilence,—“The offspring of inclement skies, and of legions of putrefying locusts,”—and obscure, as regards the uncertainty which must ever appertain to all that relates to the phenomena of Life and Death.
The Author has endeavoured to place in fair review the various opinions of the most eminent historians (professional and otherwise), and would impress on his readers, that on a subject embracing so wide a fieldas that of atmospheric influence, arising from elemental disturbance, together with the boundless variety in the circumstances of human society, as the exciting and predisposing cause of disease, the present volume must be read and considered as a whole; for it is only by comparison of all the phenomena displayed in the following History of Pestilences, that any thing like just or rational conclusions can be arrived at,—conclusions such as the remarkable coincidences of the observations and comments by historians, not only of the earliest ages of the world, but those of more modern times, fully warrant.
It has been the Author’s aim, by careful examination, to reconcile the discrepancies of historians as regards dates,—discrepancies evidently owing to the varying commencements of the year with different people or nations.
In conclusion,—however dogmatical the Author may appear to be to his readers in that which he has advanced as to theNATURE,CAUSES, &c. of epidemic pestilences, he begs to assure them that he has writtenfrom honest conviction; and with that assurance he leaves the subject-matter in the hands of those capable of estimating his efforts in behalf ofSANITY.
Ὁ οἴδαμεν λαλοῦμεν, καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν.
“We teach that we do know, and testify that we have seen.”
Wyke House, Brentford.