Cholera was one of the scourges of the industrial era, helped in its spread by the dreadful living conditions and squalor of overpopulated and poverty-stricken quarters. A fierce epidemic broke out in Greenock in 1832, in which about 2,000 died. Doctors grew increasingly anxious to understand the root of the disease. Some, it seems, were more anxious than others.
For the purpose of endeavouring to set all doubt at rest respecting the contagious or non-contagious nature of Cholera a medical gentleman on Wednesday last made the following experiment. Immediately after the death of a Cholera patient in the Hospital, he undressed, went into the same bed, and covered himself with the same clothes which had the moment before been occupied by the person who died. He remained for two hours and a half in bed, thus exposing himself as much as possible to the risk of imbibing the disease, if it be really contagious. He was in excellent health at the time he made the experiment and up to this hour, we have much pleasure in stating, he continues to remain so. So convinced were some of his medical brethren that he would fall a victim, that next day numerous enquiries were made at the Hospital of the hour when he died.
(To our weak thinking, this valorous feat proved no more than the hero of the tale ‘went into the bed’ a fool, and came out no wiser – for which he may thank his stars. To add to the wonderment, we are informed that ‘he was in excellent health at the time he made the experiment’ – but this is a condition to which, of all others, we should imagine he was most indebted for his security. Had he been infirm with age, and broken down from bodily disease, would he have made the attempt? We suspect not. Moreover, we cannot let him off with the idea that he has performed a feat second only to that of precipitating himself down the crater of mount Vesuvius with the small chance of being vomited forth again in a whole skin; for it appears that he took care to have the body of the patient removed before he nestled himself in the blankets, and in this case made but half an experiment. Yet we do not advise him to perform the other moiety; that we conceive he should prudently leave to some one of his sage companions, who called to enquire if he were still alive next morning. – Editor, G.A.)