Address of S.P. Hildreth, M.D., president of the third Medical Convention of Ohio : delivered at Cleveland, May 14th, 1839.

  • Hildreth, Samuel P. (Samuel Prescott), 1783-1863.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Address of S.P. Hildreth, M.D., president of the third Medical Convention of Ohio : delivered at Cleveland, May 14th, 1839. 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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    plentiful and nourishing diet, aided by the invigorating breezes of winter soon restored their strength. Malignant fever at GalliopoUs in the-year 1796.—This town was sealed by a company of emigrants from France, in the year 179U. They had benight and paid for lands in their own country, from Joel Barlow, the agent ot the '-Scioto Land Company whic i, failing to close its contract with the Congress of the United StaU s lor a large tract ol wilderness lying between the Scioto river and that of the Ohio Company's purchase, could not fulfil (he agreement with these men ; and they were left in a strange laud, without a home, and without the means of pur- chasing one, as their journey and payments to the Scioto Com- pany had exhausted their money. With want, disappointment, and the Indians to contend with for several years, sickness and death would naturally fall upon them. During the Indian war, which broke out on their arrival, they were confined to their garrison and could do but little towards clearing the lands on which they had been permitted to settle. Within the bounds of their village were numerous sm.\ll ponds of water and wet low grounds, partially cleared and Covered with we< ds and decaying wood from the fallen trees. In the summer of 1796 a bilious remitting fever broke out which prostrated nearly the entire population and caused a number of deaths. Amongst them was a cousin ol the writer of this address, who had early visited the west, and wa^ engaged in the fur trade. Andrew Eilicot, a celebrated engineer and surveyor, in a voyage down the Ohio river, landed therein November of that year. The following extract from his journal, is copied from the fourth volume of the Medical Repository, and is the only account of this sickness which 1 have been able to procure : Arrived at Galliopolis about eleven o'clock in the morning. The village is a few miles below the mouth of the Great Kenha- way, on the west side of the Ohio river, and situated on a high bank. It is inhabited by a number of miserable French families. Many of the inhabitants this season fell victims to the yellow fever. The mortal cases were generally atrended with black vomiting. This disorder certainly originated in the town, and in all probability from an unusual quantity of anifliafl and vege- table putrefaction in a number of small ponds and marshes with- in the village. As this visit took place at a period when the yellow fever pre- vailed as an epidemic in many of our commercial cities, and great disputes were carried on amongst the medical men, as to its Contagious or non-contagious nature, he goes on further to state. The fever cou'd not have been taken there from the At- lantic states, as hiy boat was the first that descended the river after the fall of the water in the spring; neither could it i.ave been taken from Mew-Orleans, as there is no communication at