A concise history of the autumnal fever : which prevailed in the borough of Wilmington in the year 1802 / by Dr. John Vaughan.

  • Vaughan, John, 1775-1807.
Date:
1803
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A concise history of the autumnal fever : which prevailed in the borough of Wilmington in the year 1802 / by Dr. John Vaughan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    tisfaction of theBoard; viz. J. Hadley's child, King street— a woman, two men and a girl, in three different families, in Second between King and Market-Streets—a man in Market near Water-Street, and a woman in do. between Second and Front-Streets-a woman, man and boy, in sepa- rate families, in Front between Market and French-Streets —a lad and negro girl, on opposite sides of French abova Second-Street—two women and a child, in Walnut near Front-Street) and several others whom it is perhaps un- necessary and improper to mention, are in different states of fever. The present state of the weather is extremely unfa- vorable to persons affected with bilious fever, and when we consider the situation of some of the present sick, we may reasonably expect a few cases of mortality. The season, state of the weather, and general prevalence of bil- ious fever in the country, combine in the establishment of a belief, that our disease is epidemic, uninfluenced by hu- man contagion. An useful lesson, is also afforded us, by the cases of a malignant grade being principally confined to a certain district of our Borough, while the milder forms of fever, and but few of them, exist in the middle and higher parts of the town. The question respecting the propriety of removing noxious matters from cellars &c. at this time, is interest- ing to the community and demands deliberation, but, I am strongly impressed with the belief, that an attempt to re- move some of our nests of effluvia, at this period, would be aggravating the evil. If the filth of the prescribed cel- lars &c. were noAv stirred up and set afloat in the air, it would not be generally diffused in the atmosphere, but ho- ver about us in the disguised shape of fog, until dissipated by a fortuitous change of weather or disarmed by frost.—- From the advanced state of the season, it is in fact ques- tionable, whether it be not most safe, to let things remain as they are until frost and make use of lime freely to cor* rect the miasmata casually evolved.