That summer, a cholera epidemic was raging in St. Petersburg. The ignorant people, having no scientific knowledge whatsoever, suspected doctors of subversion: they believed them to be poisoning people by throwing toxic substances into wells. On that day, a crowd on the Sennaya Square intended to storm a cholera hospital. The riot was suppressed by troops and a police squad, and tsar Nicholas I came out to talk to the crowd that had quieted down by that time. But neither he revealed any knowledge of the subject: “What are you doing, fools? Why do you think someone is poisoning you? It is a divine retribution! Down on your knees, idiots! Pray to the Lord! I’ll teach you!” And everyone fell on their knees. As to cholera in Russia, it was defeated the same year without any help from Tsar, just the doctors with their scientific knowledge.