History and reminiscences of the Philadelphia almshouse and Philadelphia hospital ... / Reprinted from Philadelphia hospital reports.

Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History and reminiscences of the Philadelphia almshouse and Philadelphia hospital ... / Reprinted from Philadelphia hospital reports. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    mission for the Quarter Master [Deputy] General to quarter in the institution a number of the Continental militia who were very sick with dysentery. This was strenuously opposed both by the managers and medical attendants, as calculated to endanger the health of the house. They had on former occasions suffered greatly from the prevalence of putrid sore throat and small-pox; and had been compelled to move many of the cases to private lodgings in order to stay their fatal progress; and in justice to the helpless and infirm inmates—most of whom possessed little ability to resist disease—they naturally objected to the intro- duction of an element of danger, such as malignant dysentery, the scourge of camps would constitute. As all military govern- ments tend to despotism, the amplication was merely to maintain a semblance to the legitimate forms of propriety. This is quite natural and proper, when public necessity becomes paramount to personal considerations, and accordingly the council ordered Col. Francis Gurney, on the 23d of October, to take military possession of the almshouse for the sick soldiers. No alternative was left but to make the best of the unpleasant position forced upon them. The poor were transferred to the west building, and the soldiers- were placed in the southeast wing of the House of Employment, arresting entirely the industrial operations of the establishment. They retained possession of this apartment until the British took possession of the city in 1777, when they were removed. This removal, however, in no way relieved the managers from embarrassment, as shortly after, in the month of October, the entire east wing was appropriated for the sick belonging to the King's troops under General Howe. For fear they might in like manner appropriate the west wing also, the managers waited on Joseph Galloway, to secure his influence with the general to prevent an occurrence which must entail so great distress on the poor—its inmates at this time being of the most helpless description. Joseph Galloway was a lawyer of distinction and wealth, speaker of the Provincial Assembly. In our struggle he took the royal side of the question, and became, under the sanction of the British commander, the general superintendent of the city. When, however, the cause of the colonies brightened, and Howe was obliged to evacuate the city, he was compelled to follow his master, his estates were confiscated, his fortune melted away, and