THAT thelong-agitated and very important question, whether the plague be truly a contagious disease, or merely endemic or epidemic, depending on local causes, is not decided, clearly appears from two of the latest works published on the subject, viz., those of Clot Bey, and of M. Boulard.* By the former author an attempt is made in a very elaborate manner to prove that the oriental plague is clearly not a contagious disease; whilst by the latter, the contrary is maintained, he endeavouring to show, and in a no less elaborate manner, that it may be communicated from one person to another by con-