An account of the yellow or malignant fever : as it occurred in the city of Philadelphia in 1820 / by Samuel Jackson.

  • Jackson, Samuel, 1787-1872.
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the yellow or malignant fever : as it occurred in the city of Philadelphia in 1820 / by Samuel Jackson. 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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    these means, in a few days, most of the houses exposed to the infection were emptied of their inhabitants. When that measure was accomplished, fences were erected (on Monday 31st July) cutting off the approaches to Hodge's wharf and dock, which appeared to be the focus of the dis- ease. The two cases of malignant fever in the family of Mr. Hill, on the 2d of August, were the last that occurred in the vicinity of Hodge's wharf. The removal of the inhabi- tants from the neighbourhood, the erection of fences pre- venting approach to the source of infection, and clearing away the offensive matters, as far as was practicable, ap- pear to have completely extinguished the disease, which had appeared there with a threatening and alarming aspect. For some days a perfect calm ensued; and a hope was indulged, that the anxieties and apprehensions which had been entertained for the health of the city, would soon be dissipated, in a general confidence of an exemption from the calamities, attending the threatened presence of the formi- dable visiter. But these pleasing anticipations were soon disturbed. On the 9th of August, Drs. Hartshorne and Moore invited me to visit with them Mr. Jesse Smith, who had been taken ill on Sunday the 6th, and who had strong symptoms of malignant fever. He died the next day. The clerk of Mr. Smith, Mr. Annesly, was known to be ill at the same time. He had also been attacked on Sunday with great violence, but was recovering. The counting house of Mr. Smith was on the wharf above Walnut Street. These gentlemen having been engaged on Hodge's wharf, a short time previous to their illness, in removing some sugar which had been landed there, it was supposed they had con- tracted their disease at that place; but as numerous cases immediately succeeded theirs, all originating in the vicinity of Walnut Street wharf, it is more probable they derived the infection from the common cause existing in this new seat of the disease, and that they were the first on whom it dis- played its malignant influence. The same day that Mr. Smith's illness was made known, it was ascertained that a