The case of the manufacturers of soap & candles in the city of New-York, stated and examined : to which are prefixed, the laws of the state of New-York, concerning infectious diseases ; with an addition, in form of an appendix ; containing, several documents and papers, relative to these subjects / published by the Association of Tallow Chandlers and Soap Makers.

Samuel L. Mitchill

Date:: MDCCXCVII [1797]

Credit: The case of the manufacturers of soap & candles in the city of New-York, stated and examined : to which are prefixed, the laws of the state of New-York, concerning infectious diseases ; with an addition, in form of an appendix ; containing, several documents and papers, relative to these subjects / published by the Association of Tallow Chandlers and Soap Makers. 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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$r_»9 ] ^ntc thoroughly their hiftory, in any other way than by at' tending to their combinations with other bodies by means of Chemical Attraction, In attending to the changes which plants and animals un- derwent after death, it at an early day had hecome apparent that the air into which they were converted was not always of a hurtful kind ; that fome fpecics of both claffes of be- ings would rot without caufing any miichief at all, while other individuals of either fort, while they underwent cor- ruption, were, though not always, yet frequently noxious ; and at beft, of a fufpicious character. Mankind, by attend- ing to the fubjeft, in all poflible ways, had diicovered at laft, that fame, [jutrifying Jubjlances would afford no peflilen- tial air at all, and others that were capable of yielding itt would only do Jo under certain circumjlanccs. But before the human mind had progreffed far enough, to come to anv definite conclufion on the fubjeft, camps had been defolated, armies cut off, and cities depopulated by pedilencc. In contemplating thefe diftreffing events, though it was obvious enough, the morbid caufe muft have originat- ed locally, or have been generated on the fpot, both in the field and garrifon ; flill fo great had been the reluftance of mankind in fettled and domeftic life, to allow their city or place of reudence to be unhealthy, that in the hiftory of all ancient and modern plagues, a belief has almoft univcr- fally prevailed, of their introduftion from fome foreign place. The Yellow-fever of New-York, and the other commer- cial cities of America, for iuftance, if you might give cre- dit to a multitude of teftimony, had been always imported from fome diflant parts, commonly from the We!t-Indies ; the inhabitants of thole Illands agreed among thcmlelves in dilclaiming its origin there ; but dill'eted whether it was of Aliatic dclccnt, from the climate of Siam, or of African produclion in the latitudes of Guinea. Had the Malays or the negroes the cufiom of reading our performances, and writing books of their own, they would doubtlefs feel an equal defire to wine a\v.iy thefe afperiions, and contrive$

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