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41
12. That the mortality is always most
severe at the beginning of an epidemic, when,
as in the London Hospital, it may amount to
85 per cent. of those attacked; whereas at
the end of the visitation it is much less
severe, and may not exceed 37 per cent.
Throughout the whole of the epidemic, however,
the mortality has generally been from
41 to 50 per cent., excepting when, as in
Continental cities, the sanitary conditions are
unfavourable, and then it may amount to
from 60 to 70 per cent.
13. That the disease is only infectious in
the sense that the alvine discharges of the
sick are capable in all probability of communicating
the disease to the healthy.
Observation indeed, in every part of the
world, leads to the conclusion that they are
the sole agents in propagating the disease;
but the exact element or materies morbi which
is thus concerned in communicating it is not
known. The researches of Dr. Parkes in
this country, Dr. Thome, of Cologne, Professor
Klob, of Vienna, and Professor Hallier,
of Jena, have shown that the alvine discharges
of persons sick of cholera, contain
myriads of low cryptogamic organisms of the
nature of a minute microscopic fungus, which