The terror of the tents, or, Quarantine restrictions as imposed and enforced in Jamaica during the prevalence of small-pox, under so-called paternal government.

Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The terror of the tents, or, Quarantine restrictions as imposed and enforced in Jamaica during the prevalence of small-pox, under so-called paternal government. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    relatives from without, during both night and day, not a single solitary intercourse but a regular repeated visitation as in the cases at least of to visit Wm. Hall, of to see Alex. Bell, of , to see and to read with Wm. Bennett of , to supply F. Wiseman with clothing, food, porter, &c., of Mrs. with her son Bennett, and who has herself since been laid up with an attack of Small-pox. The following can speak to these facts : [Tlcre follow the names of nine 'persons and it is stated of many o//ier.«.] Besides the tents it would appear that the adjoining col- lections of houses or huts, named Tovvnshend Town, were also placed under quarantine restrictions ; that the inmates were told that they were not to go out Irom the yard, but that as no funds were provided for their sustenance, or care taken to give them the means of procuring food or being nursed when sick, that their instructions not to leave the yard were nut obeyed. The following among others can speak to this fact: l^Here follow the names of five pe?-so?2s.] Nurse is reported to have left the tents at times, and to have gone to her residence at Gordon Pastures, where the disease subsequently broke out. On this point, the evidence of and should be taken. Nurse 's residence is on the so-called quarantine ground itself, and resided in Townsend Town, i.e., the adjoining yard, (one's own bed within a few feet is a prodigious temptation.) The Rev. Mr. Braine was distinctly informed that, as a Clergyman, he would not be allowed to enter the tents or hospital for the purpose of seeing or praying with the sick. Mr. Byndloss, the contractor, was ordered out of the tent in which Roden was, and into which he had gone for the only time with Dr. Cargill, and was desired not to en- ter the quarantine ground again. Doubtless, a Journal or History of the cases has been preserved by the medical officer in charge. This is the more necessary, as it would appear some at any rate of the patients were transferred to the tents at a late period of the disease—a practice certainly contrary to all sound qua-
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