Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. IIVarious
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. II
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
Of places in which colds are caught it is not necessary to be
particular. For, as a late Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench laid it
down in summing up to a jury, in a case of sheep-stealing, after some
time had been wasted in showing that the stolen sheep had been
slaughtered with a particular knife--any knife will kill a sheep--so it
may be said that a cold may be caught any where: on the moor or on the
loch; traveling by land or by water; by rail or by stage; or in a
private carriage, or walking in the streets; or sitting at home or
elsewhere, in a draught, or out of a draught, but more especially in it.
Upon a statistical return of the places in which colds have been caught,
by persons of both sexes, and under twenty-one years of age, founded
upon the answers of the patients themselves, it appears that more colds
are caught upon the journey in going to school, and at church, than at
the theatre and in ball-rooms. Upon a similar return from persons liable
to serve as jurymen in London and Middlesex, it appears that a majority
of colds is caught in courts of justice; to which statement, perhaps,
more confidence is due than to the former, as it is not known that Dr.
Reid has ventilated any of the churches or theatres in the metropolis.
Indeed, if the ancient physical philosophers, who had many disputes upon
the first cause of cold, had enjoyed the advantage of living in our days
and country, they might have satisfied themselves on this matter, and at
the same time have become practically acquainted with the working of our
system of jurisprudence, by attending in Westminster Hall, when they
would go away perhaps with some good law, but most certainly with a very
bad cold in their heads. Upon the returns from ladies with grown-up
daughters and nieces, it appears from their own statements, that more
colds are caught at evening parties than any where else; which is in
remarkable discrepancy with the statements of the young ladies
themselves, as before mentioned. The same curious want of agreement is
found to prevail as to the number of colds caught on water-parties,
pic-nics, archery-meetings, and the like, which, according to one set of
answers, never give rise to colds, but which would certainly be avoided
by all prudent persons if they gave implicit belief to the other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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