A brief account of the epidemical fever which lately prevailed in the city of New York : with the different proclamations, reports and letters of Gov. Jay, Gov. Mifflin, the Health Committee of New York, &c. upon the subject : to which is added, an accurate list of the names of those who have died of the disease, from July 29, to Nov. 1 / by M.L. Davis.

  • Davis, Matthew L. (Matthew Livingston), 1773-1850.
Date:
1795
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A brief account of the epidemical fever which lately prevailed in the city of New York : with the different proclamations, reports and letters of Gov. Jay, Gov. Mifflin, the Health Committee of New York, &c. upon the subject : to which is added, an accurate list of the names of those who have died of the disease, from July 29, to Nov. 1 / by M.L. Davis. 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.)

    19/74
    from the Weft Indies, having a malignant fever on board ; by others (phyficians) it is pofitively afferted that he did not die of an imported diforder; but by all, I believe, it is allowed that he died of the epidemic which has fince proved fo fatal to many. The diforder firft made its. appearance in July, at the upper end of Water ftreet, near New flip, and here it continued for a very confiderable time, not fpreading out ot that ftreet, a few inftances excepted, until the month of September, after which, in fome degree, it prevailed throughout the city ; but ultimately proved moft mortal in the ftreet where it commenced. Near New flip there had recently been opened a fmall ftreet, called George ftreet; it had been much neglected; was very filthy, and principally inhabited by people in indigent circumftances ; not lefs than fixty perfons were buried out of it, within the fmall compafs of twenty houfes. The difeafe alfo proved very fatal about the Fly market, and from thence, in Water ftreet, to the Coffee houfe. The alarm became pretty general in the beginning of September, and the citizens at that period commenced removing into the country. The recent fufferings of Philadelphia and Baltimore, occa- fioned a greater fear of infectious fevers than would otherwife, probably, have exifted. The hafty burials after death, was alfo a caufe of great dread; the mode •was no lefs terrifying: For the fpeedy removal of the .dead, a hearfe was provided, drawn by an horfe, and attended by two men. As foon as the breath was out of the body, thefe men were fent for; they ufually brought a coffin and tarred iheet with them, in which the corpfe was wrapped, put into the coffin, and drove oil to Potter's Field, a place purchased for the burial of Grangers and the poor, and entered without the at- tendance of firigie connexion or friend to bemoan their fofs. It is afferted, and doubtlefs is a fact, that in many inftances the hearfe came for the lick, while yet living, and that coffins have been in the houfe for fome